Who's Next?
Hey Sugar Surfers,
This message is to let you know about some big changes in Sugar Surfing and a little bit about what I'm doing next.
Diabetes has been in my family since my daughter was diagnosed in May 2001. This picture was taken shortly after her Mom and I fought hard and won the right for her to get an insulin pump at age 4. You can read about that initial adventure in my bio. I've been working with Stephen Ponder since the Fall of 2002. As CGM matured, we applied the principles learned through many clinical studies of how to best apply blood sugar data to patient self-care and wouldn't you know it... making more frequent decisions leads to better overall control.
As I encouraged Steve many times, Sugar Surfing needs to either grow or be remembered simply as another in a long line of diabetes how to books. Fortunately, Steve and his wife Patsy went ahead and created Dynamic Diabetes Management, Inc. and secured its status as a fully recognized non-profit diabetes education organization. Its mission is to teach the world about the dynamic approach to blood sugar management and to offer this education through a number of mechanisms not the least of which will be a comprehensive structured education program consisting of both online and offline resources. The goal is to reach millions of people and that will take some time and effort while DDM secures help from key people including volunteers. Updates on this front will be announced here in the future as they become available.
It's now 2018. My daughter still has type 1 diabetes. She is managing well and just made the Dean's list in nursing school. My daughter Mackenzie recently graduated early from UT Austin and has embarked on what is sure to be an exciting film career. I on the other hand am much older.
Now that Sugar Surfing is in good hands and well positioned to continue on its mission to grow and help others, I have decided to change careers. I won't be a part of this next big step with you but you can bet I'll be pulling for Steve, Patsy, DDM and the Sugar Surfing community.
Hobbies are an excellent way to be a more interesting person and to live a more fulfilling life. I highly recommend you find one if you don't have one or more already. In my case, I picked up the hobby of brewing beer a few years ago and it turns out I'm quite good at it. Not unlike Sugar Surfing, I enjoy the camaraderie that comes from participating in a community who share a love for designing and brewing beer. Several county, state and National awards later, the draw to go pro has taken over. Doing the work of Sugar Surfing and a full time job in the beer business isn't a realistic option. So, I have decided it's time for me to pass the diabetes torch to the next generation. Meanwhile, I'll be scrubbing kegs, wrangling yeast and selling pints of beer as I begin working for a micro-brewery in Northern California.
As long as #t1d lives in those people dear to me you know I'll never be too far away from it but now maybe my involvement is more along the lines of a hobby. I wish the best to all of you whom I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with during my 17 years in the world of diabetes.
If you ever find yourself in Northern California and feel like you need to relax while sipping on a fresh and delicious brew please don't hesitate to look me up. I can be reached at kevin.l.mcmahon@gmail.com
May your bg's be steady, your trends between the lines and a smile on your face!
Sincerely,
Kevin McMahon
co-author and co-founder of Sugar Surfing (now retired)
former board member of DDM, Inc.
