Highlights of a conference . . . .

Two Saturdays ago, Pete and I got up really really early (or wicked early, as they say in Rhode Island) and drove up to Providence for the Taking Control of Your Diabetes conference.  I’ve tried over and over again to figure out how to put the experience into words.  I’ve drafted and redrafted post after post.  But I just can’t get it right.  Luckily, Stacey and Kerri both wrote great and timely posts about the day so you should probably start by checking those out.  As for me?  I think it’s time to resort to a bullet list of the people and things that stand out the most . . .

• Dr. Steve Edelman and Dr. William Polonsky:  They both presented during the morning sessions.  They also co-moderated the afternoon break-out session I chose.  They have a delightful was of getting their point across while making you laugh and keeping you thoroughly entertained.
• The lunchtime address:  Urban Miyares, a Vietnam vet whose courage and positive outlook are completely indescribable, simply blew us away.
• Charlie Kimball:  His closing address drove home (at over 100 MPH, hahaha) the point that diabetes doesn’t have to keep us for doing anything in life.  We were also lucky enough to have lunch with him.  Pete especially enjoyed the video on Charlie's phone of his crash from few weeks earlier.  (What is it with boys and crashes?  Trust me, the video was cringe-inducing!!)
  
  
• Diabetes Celebrities: This was the term the TCOYD photographer came up with for the picture below, and she was spot on!  I was thrilled to meet Kelly Close, of diaTribe and Close Concerns.  And I was equally thrilled to catch up with my celebrity-friends Kerri and Bernard.
  
  
• D-OC Pals:  Sessions and stars are great, but spending time with some of my favorite D-OC members is even better.  We got to hang with our friends Kerri, Stacey, Tina, Bernard and Val.  And I finally got to meet Ashley and her dad, and Faye and her husband.  That alone made the 16 hour day worth it!!
  
  

So this is pretty lame for a recap, right?  But basically, if a TCOYD conference comes to your area, I say GO!!  Go for the incredible sessions and speeches.  Go for the information and potential swag in the expo hall.  And by all means, go for the experience of spending a day surrounded by others who live with diabetes each and every day too.  I hear they’ll be hitting Albany, NY in 2011 . . . . and I’m already planning to go!