D-Life did a decent spot this evening in its one story about legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, who happened to also be an insulin-dependent diabetic. As the first African-American to play major league baseball in 1947, Robinson joined the LA Dodgers and was an instrumental player through the years that led up to his entry into the Hall of Fame and All-Century Team. He died in 1972 of a heart attack - brought on by a heart disease complicatoin of diabetes - and he'd become almost entirely blind by middle age. 
In an unusual happening, D-Life hit an insightful nerve by interviewing a longtime friend of Jackie Robinson and getting into the more personal aspects of his days once blindness had hit. The story involved him walking onto a field once, accompanied by his wife and the ball-playing friend. A young child wanted an autograph, and offered to toss him a ball to sign. Jackie was ready, but his friend reminded him of the blindness that likely would have meant he couldn't catch the ball. Instead, the boy tossed it to the friend and he handed it to Robinson for an autograph. That hit home. We also heard about Jackie's love for orange soda, which likely boosted his blood sugar - something that just wasn't good back in those days before synthetic insulin and pumps allowed us so much flexibility.
Those were different days, but the complications still happen no matter the control - 65 percent still see heart disease and kidney failure, to say nothing of the tight control they might have had throughout their lives. Of course, the worse you do, the more likely it is.
This story was one worth watching on D-Life, which is not something I find myself being able to say very often...
This show is nothing inspiring for a "veteran" diabetic who's been living with this for 25 years. This show seems built to play to Type 2 diabetics, and as I've noticed time and time again when catching an episode, it's not very helpful or practical for a Type 1, especially someone who's lived with it for so long. Nicole Johnson could stop smiling, as well - she's too cheerful and makes my stomach churn. Try again, D-Life - you certaintly aren't saying anything to help my own D-Life, despite the insightful history lesson on Jackie Robinson that offered some good insight into the more depressing complications that have been a result of diabetes no matter what decade you're living in.
Of course, my personal view on the D-Life show has nothing to do with my very high opinion of the D-Life online and those D-Bloggers out there, who do fabulous work. So, that's where I will continue to turn when there's an interest in seeing what the D-Life World has to offer.
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