A few days ago my inbox revealed yet another unexpected gem: a personal note from Oakland Raiders player Dustin Rykert, writing to correct me on my coverage of his experience being tattooed with diabetes. (Rykert made headlines with a medical symbol tattoo on his chest in 2003).

Thanks to MikeG for the tip, as my family and I have literally just landed. Cleared customs, hopped in a van, dropped our luggage in the foyer, and of course I’m online already (if a little light-headed).

As my vacation winds down, I’m trying to spend just a little time catching up on the hottest links, etc. What caught my eye first was a blurb over at Medgadget, introducing the dubious GlucoPhone — an utterly amazing all-in-one cell phone and glucometer gadget that (quote) helps “provide 24/7 support and emergency intervention to Diabetes Phone subscribers — anytime, anywhere. It’s a full disease management system.”

Emails and comments from fellow DexCom users are starting to pour in, and the split in testimonies is quite striking: on the one hand, lots of folks are disappointed — even disgusted — at having invested so much hope and money into “a lot of expensive, inaccurate numbers.” On the other hand, I’ve got people telling me that the technology has saved their life — as in rescued them from hypoglycemic unawareness — and/or helped them finally hammer down their A1c after years of struggling.

Welcome again to the Diabetic Partner Follies, the sharing forum for the people who spend their lives with the PWDs (people with diabetes). I’m so glad we launched the Follies, because I for one had NO IDEA what the “others” went through. The variety of experiences never ceases to amaze me!

Hello Dear Readers!

Oh my — so very little chance to post over here in Deutschland! But hubby has now installed a wireless network in This Old House (a striking example of turn of the century German/Dutch architecture that stands under State Memorial Protection; the photo’s not ours, but something similar). So now more than one of us can actually get online simultaneously. And the family phone line remains free. Wunderbar!

Promoters from North Hill Publishing recently sent me a unique new “book” to look at: “My Diabetes Organizer,” billed as “the essential planner and record-keeper for people with type 2 diabetes.” First impression: it’s very clean-lined and colorful and strikes me as the equivalent of the top-line Franklin Planner for people with diabetes.

Hope Warshaw is a leading expert on diabetes and nutrition, with nearly 25 years of expertise as a nutrition consultant, diabetes educator, spokesperson, and author. Her best-selling books published by the American Diabetes Association include: Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy; Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible; The Complete Guide to Carb Counting; and the Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating.

Today’s forecast: post-breakfast peak, mild swings mid-day, followed by severe overnight lows. Topsy-turvey carb ratios that make my CGM line look like a game of Pong! Heck, what did you expect following a major time zone switch?