Today is World Diabetes Day, meant to raise awareness of diabetes. In support of this, I'm dressed in blue, the official Diabetes Day color, and I have some things to share with you. First up are some socks I knit for a
dear Diabetes BlogPal to wear last month in a walk-a-thon.
Cast on: 3 October, 2008
Completed: 19 October, 2008
Yarn: Artyarns Supermerino
Needles: US3 (3.25mm) DPNs
Needless to say, this pattern is near and dear to my heart. And so is Crystal, so when she told me she wished she had a pair of these socks to wear on her walk, I didn't hesitate to knit them up for her. It's a really fun and quick pattern, and a portion of all pattern sales is donated to the ADA.
Up next I wanted to raise you awareness a little. I think my blog pals know more about diabetes than your average person, just from reading my posts. But last week, my cousins alerted me to a misconception that I'm sure many people have.
As I pulled out my meter to test my blood sugar, someone said "It's really great that they have those new machines out. You don't have to prick your finger anymore". Yes, that is true . . . but there is a catch. These "new machines" still need blood to run the test. No, you don't necessarily have to prick your finger. You can prick your arm. You can prick your palm. You can prick your thigh. My family was surprised by this. Watching the commercials on TV, which simply say you don't have to prick your finger, led them to believe your blood sugar could be read without drawing blood. Maybe someday . . . but not yet. As for me, I still prick my fingers, because the blood from your finger will give you the most accurate reading.
So, I hope I helped raise your awareness a bit more today. If you'd like to hear a little more, hop over to my diabetes blog and read today's post,
A Day in my Diabetes Life. And if you see someone wearing blue today, ask them to tell you a little more about diabetes (and send them my regards!).