I love Dblog Week. This annual event when we hear from the diabetes online community (DOC) about shared themes and ideas is always fascinating. I especially love that Dblog Week is accessible to everyone, and embraced by those who are a part of the DOC and those that quietly just need to know that there are dozens of other people living with diabetes…and doin’ it and doin’ it and doin’ it well.

Today, the blog theme of “I can…” is meant to showcase the positive side of our lives with diabetes. What have you accomplished, despite having diabetes, that you weren’t sure you could? What have you done that you’ve been particularly proud of? What good thing has diabetes brought into your life?

Conveniently enough, today is the day that my team in the medical library and I published the very first issue of The PLAID Journal, an open access, peer-reviewed journal for and by “People Living with And Inspired by Diabetes.” PLAID is one of my dreams come true, and I am so proud of what we have created, and thankful for the almost year and a half of hard work that has gone into making it something both accessible and legit.

People with diabetes is everyone. The PLAID Journal is meant for everyone. Each of us is touched by diabetes, whether we have it ourselves, or whether we know someone who does.

When my team and I set out to create a new journal, I really wanted to see the things that we blog about and share online reach the academic literature, and become part of what we research, study, and use to progress living well with diabetes. I want our voices of needing better technology, more comprehensive health insurance coverage, and greater access to mental and physical health professionals to be heard, and supported through scientific and social research.

With The PLAID Journal, I want to take the personal things that we share with the world every single day and give them a vehicle to travel beyond just the diabetes online community. I want our passions to reach the people that can provide us with the evidence to create the change that we so desperately need in our diabetes world.

To make PLAID successful, I need your help. I want you to read, share, and contribute to The PLAID Journal. I want you to encourage researchers to publish in The PLAID Journal. Over time, PLAID will only grow stronger because it is built on our voices, our needs, and our experiences. When you read The PLAID Journal, I want you to imagine all of the things you CAN do, even with diabetes. I want you to dream. I want you to be successful.

With diabetes.