Wow, I can’t believe my last post was twelve days ago. So much for continuing on with my posts as fast as I was planning. Sadly life and other things got in the way. I will talk about that at another point.

Anyway, back to life at Friends for Life.

While there were many different sessions going on, I took time to sit in on some of the focus groups. The one I did sit on and enjoy was the focus group by Tandem diabetes about their next generation of pump integrated with the Dexcom CGM. That will be another post. I actually took notes on that one. I have said it in the past and will continue saying it now. I am really impressed with Tandem and all that they are trying to do. I hope they keep moving forward and innovating.

I did sit in on a session about the AP or what I was led to believe was going to be about the AP, I won’t talk about that session. I can tell you, it was not what I was expecting. More it was a huge waste of my time. HUGE WASTE OF MY TIME.

Anyway, otherwise I spent a majority of my time at the You Can Do This Project booth. I really enjoyed it. I know currently one of the videos we did is online. Apparently someone decided to go off and have a baby so we are still sitting on the other videos at this point (May have also just inspired her). Hopefully soon. I really enjoyed the work I did at the booth with so many great people. Meri, Tina, Melissa, Briley, Wendy?? (I am spacing on if Wendy helped out or not. I just remember picking on her, so I am going with yes) and Sara gave so much of their time. I was more than happy to volunteer my time with the booth. To talk to people, to encourage people, to promote positivity. Heck I got to talk to Crystal Bowersox about the project and get her to record a video. (Coming soon)

I probably spent more time than I intended at the booth. I could have gone swimming, oh wait… I could have gone to a session. But I didn’t. I truly get more out of hanging with the crazy people with D, than I would have from some of the sessions available to me.

I really enjoyed the FFL Banquet. I apparently became on accessory holder at one point.

( I have no idea why we posed like this. I would blame the drinks, but I know I was drinking water)

I also got to spend tons of time time with Tina and her family. When I first saw Tina and her family at the exhibit hall Sugarboy ran up already covered in snow cone and offered to get me one. Later I got popcorn from him and Middles. The two of them kept me happily fed through out the entire time in the exhibit hall. Sweetstuff provided much needed sanity breaks in her stories. I basically adopted the family as my own over the next few days. Which was nice. One night Tina brought me back to my hotel. One night we chatted at the pool. On Saturday we all went swimming and some of us posed with our pumps.

(Briley, Sugarboy, and myself)

(I am not sure if this is a CWD photo or the one Tina took so I give credit here to both of them and apologize to whomever this photo is that I cannot acknowledge you fully)

We had dinner together at my hotel one night before two of the three kids had to go back for their respective teen parties. So Tina, Chad, Sugarboy, and myself hung out at my hotel pool for a bit. We had a great time just talking and hanging out. I can’t say how happy I was to have been adopted by Tina and her family.

Look how happy we are. It really was a blast and I was sad to see them go. However, we all need to say goodbye at some point. It does not however mean I am abandoning them. Nope, I might already be trying to have something in the works to see them again. We shall see. I am not letting that secret go yet.

(Briley, Myself, and Tina they are so tiny….)

I cannot say it enough how powerful Friends for Life is. I can just encourage you to go. My friend Jeanette came this year after much dragging on my part. I know she is glad to have come. We had a blast.

One thing though, if you are going to spend time in the sun and only lightly put on sunscreen, expect to have slight sun burn, but also infusion site patches.