Last October, I was honored to attend my very first DiabetesSisters Weekend for Women Conference in San Francisco. Admittedly, I was nervous going in; I did not know what to expect. But, my fears were calmed when I walked into the hotel and received a genuinely warm greeting from the Welcoming committee.  I also recognized a fear familiar faces (that always helps!) among the nearly 100 women walking around the hotel wearing orange, the official color of DiabetesSisters. This was such a beautiful site to see!  I immediately felt at home. Friday evening, DiabetesSisters collaborated with DCAF to present DSMA Live from the Conference. I was honored to interview so many amazing women with diabetes (and some of their spouses too)-- Chris and Brandy Barnes, Anna Norton, Dennis and Sarah Buchanan, and Ginger Vieira (Coach G)-- to name a few!

What I really appreciated was the opportunity to attend several sessions that were entirely focused on women with diabetes. This was new to me! In particular, I enjoyed the session on Hormones and Diabetes.  I learned a lot about hormones and how they can affect our blood sugar and I also received a few 'insider' tips on how to manage my diabetes when 'Aunt Dottie' visits.  The other session I enjoyed and felt empowered was listening to Claudia Graham, Vice President of Global Access at Dexcom. Her session “Being the CEO of Your Own Life & Getting the Care You Need” hit close to home.  I find myself putting the needs of others before I take of myself; it is hard to balance home, work, diabetes and advocacy. If I do not take ownership of my life, I will not be able to take care of myself.  One of my favorite takeaway,  “It’s is none of your business what other people think of you.” I cannot make everyone happy. I cannot live my life worrying about what others think or if they approve.  I need to focus on being the CEO of my life.  That being said, I’m pumped (no pun intended) that Claudia will be the keynote speaker at the Weekend for Women Conference in DC next month.  

The Diabetes Sisters Conference in San Francisco was the first all women’s conference I’ve attended, and it will not be the last.   I hope to regroup with some of my diabetes sisters from San Francisco and meet new ones in DC, Chicago and Los Angeles this year!

Cherise will be presenting one session at the 2014 Weekend for Women Conference In Washington, DC: Connecting with the Diabetes Online Community through Social Media and Blogging (with Kerri Sparling) and leading the DiabetesSisters' Social Media Meetup featuring DSMA Live!, a fun hour that mixes in-person networking and social media, bringing together people affected by diabetes to learn from each other and be a voice for the diabetes community.