The busiest day of the holiday shopping season is known as Black Friday… the Friday after Thanksgiving. Many stores and retailers will be offering blockbuster deals and great discounts on items. In the past, consumers had to wait to receive the sales flyers in their mailboxes or newspaper, but times have changed. With online tools like Twitter, Facebook, iPhone apps and a website like BlackFriday.info plus sneak peek emails, shoppers are able to get a head start on finding the deals they want to take advantage of.

I was an avid watcher of Army Wives when it premiered. Then life got the better of me and I just couldn’t keep up.  Many of my co-workers were much more diligent than I.  So when it was mentioned to me that the topic of diabetes was worked into the latest several episodes, my interest was renewed and I made a concerted effort to tune in.

Going away to college and living on your own can be a scary, overwhelming experience.  Especially if you’ve always had parents and a support system to help you with your type 1 diabetes; leaving that behind can definitely make the trek to college that much more terrifying.

Each fall, 2.3 million freshmen enroll in institutes of higher education in the U.S. Of these, an estimated 7,700 will have type 1 diabetes.  New students affected by diabetes don’t have to be afraid of their health care and educational needs as they adjust to college life if they plan ahead and have a game plan once they arrive. 

Although we have numerous medical ID plates, charms, metals and designs, there is always someone who wishes to wear a unique or different medical ID.  We are proud of our “build your own medical ID” website, which allows customers to personalize and create their own medical ID by selecting a charm/pendant, chain style, emblem color, etc. of their choice.  However, I am a realist.  I understand that we may not have the perfect chain or metal for you.  But the key is that if you need to wear a medical ID, you should. And if you wish to create your own…by all means do so!

With tropical storm Eduard on my heels causing a very turbulent 30 minute ride after take off, I landed safely in Washington, DC to begin setting up our booth for the AADE 2008 conference.

This year we involved the attendees with a new marketing program.  We asked the diabetes educators, nurses and dieticians to vote on our next marketing education poster to help reinforce the importance of wearing a medical ID.  Since the healthcare community educations and/or prescribes patients to wear a medical ID, it is extremely valuable to ask what tools would help them best with their jobs.

Whether it is worn for fashion, function or to convey a message, wearing jewelry has become a part of everyone’s daily dressing routine.  But are you aware that a small portion of our global population is allergic to the metal in our jewelry?

Between 10% to 12% of women and 6% of men experience Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD), or simply, a localized rash or irritation of the skin due to the skin coming in contact with an irritant (in this case a metal).  The most common metals that cause ACD are gold and nickel.  Both metals are listed on the top 10 most common causes of ACD. 

This is our first blog. Actually, this is my first blog as well. And I hate to admit that the first draft was actually written out on paper. So please forgive me if we break any rules regarding this format. But we have had a voice for a long time, and certainly been a part of the conversation in health care for quite some time. Unfortunately for many, medical IDs have long been “under the radar”…an afterthought…an admission to anyone living with diabetes or heart disease that they live with something that, at times can control them, no matter how in-control they may feel.