Me and Mr. Brooks

I have a new twitter follower. It's none other than John Brooks, the CEO of Joslin Diabetes Center.

Call me a dork, but that was pretty exciting for me. Joslin is a big name in the diabetes world, big as in BIG. In fact, I've been following them on twitter myself.

For a brief, glorious period of time, I was a patient at Joslin in Boston. Imagine, a whole medical center, just for people with diabetes. You could see an endo, work with an exercise specialist, or see a therapist.

Actually, that last one reminds me of a funny story. Because I wasn't diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes until I was 29, I didn't have access to a lot of the support, such as summer camp, that is available to the many Type 1s who get diagnosed in childhood. When I was diagnosed, 13 years ago, the only educational support, besides the doctors and CDEs, was an education class for all people with diabetes, but at which everyone was middle-aged and Type 2. Helpful? Not so much.

So, when I landed at Joslin, a mere year after diagnosis, when it was all still very much a struggle, imagine my joy at learning there were therapists specializing in patients with Type 1.

Have you ever seen the episode of Friends, where it comes to light that Ross still sees his pediatrician? He sits in the waiting room in small chairs and all the other patients are, needless to say, very small?

Yup. It was kind of like that. A child-friendly waiting room in which I was the only grown-up, except for the parents. Even at the time, I chuckled. The therapist was wonderful by the way, I am only sorry I didn't get to work with her anymore.

Will Mr. Brooks check in to read my new meter musings? My rants about mail-order waste? My concerns with the national Medicare mail order program for diabetes testing supplies?

Maybe @joslinceo is managed by a twentysomething social media expert and Mr. Brooks won't read a darn thing.

I don't really care. Joslin follows me on twitter. Thanks for the follow!

Theresa Flaherty
Type 1 diabetes, 12 years, 11 months, and 2 days