You should come!

In little more than a month, my JDRF chapter, along with a few others, will host a symposium in Nashville and you should come! Here’s why:

For starters, Kerri from sixuntilme.com will be there! We all know how great this lady is, and her breadth of diabetes knowledge is impressive. She’s lived with type 1 for more than 25 years, had a successful pregnancy (and cute little bird) and is managing a hectic life with style and ease. I have learned so much from her experiences, and I know you will too. If those reasons don’t suit you, how about because she’s awesome? Kerri was the first blogger I found online, and she’s been a great Internet friend for several years. It’s hard to believe we’ve never met, but I’m looking forward to removing “Internet” from our friendship. 🙂

There’s also the fabulous Tom Brobson! This guy is one of my favorite JDRF speakers. I heard him several years ago when my chapter brought him to Huntsville to speak. He shared his experience with the Artificial Pancreas Project, and I was mesmerized. I remember feeling such overwhelming hope as he talked about the trial. I didn’t know many people in Huntsville yet, and I sat in that conference room alone with tears running down my face at the possibility of what this technology could do for me. It was his lecture that inspired me to get involved with JDRF again. Four walks and 70 miles in the desert later, I think it’s safe to say I’m all in. You are definitely going to want to hear this guy speak!

There will be several break-out sessions as part of the symposium, including one on technology featuring Cara from Country Girl Diabetic and myself. You can see  the list for some other break-out sessions here. There will be guest speakers for teens, kids and parents and topics including college, pregnancy and research. Several doctors and staff from Vanderbilt will host sessions, and I can’t say enough about the team at the Eskind Diabetes Clinic. I recently switched to Vanderbilt, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. I promise, you do not want to miss this symposium. It’s only $150 for the registration and hotel so what are you waiting for?

If the amount of knowledge you’ll gain isn’t enough, a trip to Nashville should be! If you’re one of the lovely people I’ve convinced to ride in the JDRF Nashville Ride next year, we can do a lap around the city. Nashville has rentable bikes and marked routes, so you only need to pack your clothes. (I’m looking at you Jeff and Sara.)

If you have any questions about the symposium, I’d be more than happy to answer them for you or direct you to the JDRF Middle Tennessee office. I hope to see you in January!