This is a forum to recognize those people here on TuD who have especially inspired us, cheered us up, and made our life with diabetes just a little easier. There are only a couple of rules:
You cannot name me, because that’s not the point, and you can’t name Manny, because EVERYONE would name Manny. We all know he’s the rock and foundation of our group, but we don’t want his head to get too big! LOL!!
You can name as many people as you want, but you have to tell why.
and 3) don’t get discouraged if your name isn’t mentioned. It probably WILL be, eventually!
So here goes for me, in no particular order:
Gerri, because she has always patiently answered my questions, responded to my concerns, and listened to my moans, plus she’s SO well-informed!
Acidrock, because he posts such amazing lines in Flatliners Club, in SPITE of eating potato chips! And he’s always willing to try to problem-solve.
Kathy, because she’s so cheerful even with serious kidney disease.
Jen, because she’s so proactive about making a life for herself in spite of visual impairment and diabetes.
Melitta, because she’s so passionate in advocating for LADAs and misdiagnosed adults.
Richard Vaughn, because he’s been around so darn LONG!!!
Danny, because he started the Flatliners Club.
Kelly WPA because she is living with complications, but not letting them get her down, and showing me unflagging support.
And of course, all the other people, too numerous to name, who have written to me and supported me and cared about me!
Awseome idea!! The two that come to mind for me are AcidRock and Richard Vaughn. Acidrock because, like you say, he’s always trying to problem solve and offer up advice to people who need help (to be honest, I find AcidRock more helpful than pretty much every endo I’ve ever visited over the last 30 years). And, Richard is a hero for obvious reasons!! He’s my inspiration and who I often think about when I’m having a bad day. Because if he can live that long with T1, maybe I can too
I have learned from so many learned people; I have been befriended by so many friendly people, whether technically “friends” or not, that I cannot name them here. I am grateful to them all (thanks Robyn!). Sorry, Natalie, your instructions are hopeless…
Thanks for the favorable reviews. I think anyone who posts is a hero of sorts, as it’s very eerie to go from having no one to talk about to having 20K people in the same boat.
This is a hard question for me to answer. I am more of the type to come here to offer help than to ask for it (though I have asked, at times). And I am so bad with names that I’m not going to risk making a mistake and not crediting someone I should have. Saying “that guy who told me to try…” just doesn’t seem right.
But there are a few names that stick out in my mind and truly represent TuD. I started writing about each, but then it got a bit too long and unwieldy, so I’ll just list the names… some are presently active, some are not, and some are active but not in forums that I frequent often. Here we go, in no particular order: Acidrock. Kristen. MelissaBL. Donna H. bsc. Doris D. Dino. Karen. SuFu PhD. Kelly WPA. And let none of us forget Saundra Barragan. Saundra touched so many of us and has been an inspiration to so many fellow TuD members. She left this world two and a half years ago, but her legacy lives on.
Even more than the above, though, my heroes are the people who come here looking for help, feeling hopeless or just full of questions, that I am able to help. I won’t name you specifically, since I don’t want to cause you any shame or bring back any sad thoughts, but for me, it feels great to be able to help somebody else. By exposing your vulnerabilities, it has encouraged me to open up emotionally, reflect on my own experiences, and hopefully make the world and the Diabetes Online Community a better place. And that is a powerful feeling. So, to all of you, thank you for allowing me to help. I suppose 'tis really better to give than to receive.
Posthumously !!!: Clarence The Amigo Haynes …Clarence passed away December 5, 2010 at age 94 ; he was diagnosed with diabetes in 1977 , on insulin and a computer savvy person …from my country , a Lion Club member …Clarence welcomed me , November 16 , 2008 as a new member .
Clarence’s page is still open if anyone cares to visit …lots to read to get a sense about this past member .
I pretty much have the same names that you do but substitute your mine (sorry, I forgot I wasn’t allowed to do that!).
Gerri – very patient, helpful & has a lot of good recipes.
AR – cause he is crazy!
Kathy – she is helpful and caring and like you said, always cheerful.
Melitta – she is helpful and gives good advice for those trying to get the right diagnosis/treatment
Richard – who doesn’t like Richard!
Danny – besides Flatliners, he started the TAG group, the diabetes museum and did the diabetes years thread
BSC – he reads a lot and shares what he finds
Cheri – she introduced me to the TAG group
Joanne (aka Peetie) – I don’t want to say why here, but she knows why!
MaryMary – she is the mother of two kids (now adults) with diabetes. She shares what she learns and has been a big help to me.
Trudy – also very helpful and knowledgeable
I’m actually not going to “name names” for a couple reasons. First of all, I don’t want anyone who has come on here and offered help to one or many people to be the kid who didn’t get a valentine’s card from the class! And there are some people who aren’t able to be on here that often, or respond to many posts, whose name may not stick in our mind, but who have offered that perfect gem to another person at one time or another…whether a gem of practical advice or of a compassionate ear.
I’m like Scott, I’m a helper, more likely to offer than to ask for help. But when I first came on here it was because I knew something wasn’t right with my diabetes (I’d been misdiagnosed type 2) and I was desperately seeking answers. Many people responded to my questions back then, questions which at first were all over the map. With one exception who several people have already named, I don’t remember who those people were! It was a blurr to me at the time. Since then I’ve periodically posted a quandary and always gotten several responses giving me several perspectives, some I can use, others well-meant but not relevant to me.
But what matters to me, what is so very important to me about TuD isn’t so much any particular response or even any responder.For me it has everything to do with family, or what family is meant to be, an ideal I never experienced in my own family, but have in the “family of friends” I’ve created throughout my life. This week I traveled to a presentation for some of my online students. One of them ended up being a type 1 diabetic and we laughed and flashed our pumps at each other in solidarity. I told her about my “family” of 20,000+ diabetics and recommended she join. When I talk about diabetes to non-diabetics I find myself saying “we” rather than “I” or even “type 1’s” or “diabetics”. Or I say “many of us have found…”. I talk that way because I’m not just an “I” - a solitary diabetic trying to figure it all out with limited help from healthcare professionals. I’m part of a we. And I’m always aware of that “we” being there. When I first got my pump and jumped out of bed at 2AM because I had put the pump under the pillow as my trainer had suggested and both me and my cat had become wound up in tubing, I immediately signed on to TuD and within 20 minutes I had a response that was helpful. When I have an interesting (or frustrating) experience with my D management my first impulse is to sign on and share it.
I’m not the religious type, but my response to your third paragraph is a loud and proud “Amen!” It’s amazing what a change in pronouns (“I” to “we”) can do …
I’m not religious either, Scott, but thinking (feeling) like a we instead of an I is my definition of spirituality- I can’t always manage it, unfortunately.
And no doubt, we will be given a chance in December by DHF ( or sooner , as I can’t recall precisely ) to " officially vote " for our TuD. heroes for the year 2011 …I will stay tuned !
They’re not part of the TuDiabetes community, but in line with Elizabeth’s comment, I have to add my own parents. HOW in the world did they manage ME???
