A Dog's Perspective of the Diabetes UnConference Aftermath

I am very sad, and it's all because of this Diabetes UnConference in Las Vegas.

Hi everyone, this is Riley. And yes, I did say sad... because it took my daddy away for several days and he didn't take me, and now all he's been talking about are those "awesome people" he saw in Vegas.

He returned home early in the week, and even though we were very happy to see each other, I knew he had been with other dogs. I even saw them in a picture. There was Becca and Norm, and I have heard there was talk of many other D-dogs and even cats there at the UnConference.

Since getting home, Daddy has been sneezing and coughing quite a bit (he says he has a head-cold, but I'm convinced it's because his body couldn't handle the excitement of seeing me again...). And he also says there's a bunch of #VegasDust in his eyes...

That brings me to you, my first chance in quite a while to write a blog. So here I am: the Riley Dog!!!

Daddy has been pretty quiet about exactly what went on at this UnConference, because apparently they took some sacred vow of on-the-spot silence. But what he does tell me is that it was a great experience with awesome people, and there was so much laughter, tears, honest sharing, and hugs.

You can see the whole big group there, and I'm sure you'll be as shocked as I am that there were actually other dogs there, but for some reason I was not invited... it's a bit insulting, but I know Daddy says Becca and Norm were "on the job" and actually trained to recognize blood sugar swings, so they weren't just there wagging tails and enjoying themselves like I would be. Pfft... whatever.

And they apparently shared a lot of emotions, probably because there was talk about me and other pets. Because, what else could generate that much love, right?!

I am happy to hear that my name came up several times, particularly on the topic of exercise and even dealing with burnout and mental health. Apparently, I am very helpful in getting Daddy's mind off of things, and just being able to take me on a walk around the block helps him. YAY!!!!

Really, though, that's all he has really told me about what was shared. And I guess I'm OK with that. Because the weekend made him so very happy, even if he's sad now that it's over. Actually, I'm kinda getting a bit tired of him talking so much about how awesome it was... but hey, since I love him unconditionally, I can't really criticize too much.

Oh, and I am also told there was quite a bit of talk about beer... and drinking it too, and that one of his friends who actually works at a brewery gave him a red ale that was, as he says, "pretty damn awesome."

None of this beer talk should surprise anyone, because Daddy is pretty vocal of his love for microbrews that he loves almost as much as he loves me and Mommy...

With all of that said, I am happy that Daddy visited the Polaroid FotoBar store with his friends and made some fun photos -- including one of me! And he also brought some others home with his friends, and Norm the Alert Dog, too. You can see those below, along with some other fun photos that he's shared.

I hear Daddy say that he's going to write some more, including his "DiabetesMine post" that has now been posted over there. Since I'm his editorial assistant, I decided that this would be a good one to run over here on the same day. And yes, there will probably be more down the road... like how he says about meeting two other Indy D-friends out there. But I won't steal the thunder on those, since I really don't like thunder anyhow.

So, that's it for now. This is Riley Dog, wagging her tail and giving you a lick on the nose until we meet again.