In September of 1994, my mom woke me up in the middle of the night (well, what seemed to be the middle of the night to me then... 10:00 seems early now) and took me to the ER.  I had told her earlier that night that I was always thirsty and couldn't stop drinking water.  She put two and two together and, a few hours later, arranged to have neighbors watch my sister and took me in for a bloodtest.  A few hours later (sleepless for her, sleepful for me) the tests came back showing überhyperglycemia (yes, that's an actual medical term [no, it isn't]) and I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

As a recent convert to road cycling, I was incredibly excited to learn about this race.  The fact it takes place in Napa adds some nice cream (low-sugar, of course) to the top of that sundae.  After deciding which ride to do (100 miles? Seems totally doable), I immediately signed up.  I expect it to be a challenge, both physically and medically - having never participated in a physical event lasting as many hours, this ride will require that I learn new ways to monitor and balance my bloodsugars while I ride.

So, where do you come in?  The ride is structured as a fundraiser, with a goal of helping fund research for treatments and cures for this condition.  As a Type 1 diabetic myself, as the brother of a recently diagnosed Type 1 diabetic, and as the son and nephew of Type 1 diabetics... well, I'd hope the interest in raising such funds is readily apparent.  If you are able to contribute towards this cause, I would be honored to have your support (the link, as might be expected, is below - yay for tax deductions!).  Otherwise, some kind words of support and encouragement will be most appreciated as well! 

Thank you for your support, in whatever form it takes!

Jamie