Diabetes week 2016

Get your 'Faces of Diabetes' picture here 

It's Diabetes Week and this year's theme is 'Setting the Record Straight'. This means patients, carers, professionals and charities are taking to the streets (and the online streets) to dispel myths around diabetes. Join the Diabetes Online Community (#DOC) in telling your stories, experiences, facts and videos and help set the record straight about what diabetes is and what it is like to live with. 

December Favourites

Find my favourite December purchases here... (cont)

The Diabetes UK Professional Conference and Social Media

The Diabetes UK Professional Conference is over and now it’s time to reflect. In my column for The Diabetes Times I wrote about the topic I would be presenting at the conference and how it needed to grow from previous years. It needed to make more of an impact. I think it’s very important that after each talk the audience goes away with something to think about, something they can try to implement in their departments, and I believe that many of them did.

One topic, language, came up during the presentation. That day, language had been discussed via twitter by patients who were discussing the use of the word ‘non-compliant’. It hit a nerve with many people at the conference, patients and Health Care Professionals (HCP's) alike, and luckily the group I was presenting with had a stage to address that problem. In my presentation I made a point of telling the audience that I was labelled as ‘non-compliant’ due to being in DKA so many times - I make a point of mentioning this in all of the talks I do. I was not able (for so many reasons) to manage my diabetes in the way that I needed to, but in no way did that mean I was purposely not complying with rules that had been set for me. A patient who is struggling to manage their diabetes is not a rule breaker, they do not need the added pressure of feeling that they are purposely causing problems for others, they need support and guidance and they need (and very much deserve) respect in the way they are talked to and about. I hope that the use of language continues to improve.

During my session I talked about my journey with diabetes, trying to condense it into a 10 minute presentation, and tried to convey the seriousness of the first 10 years after my diagnosis. However, I didn’t need to tell them how dangerous my habits of not testing my glucose levels or taking my insulin correctly was. The audience was made up of health care professionals, they knew the seriousness of my actions. The way that I used to manage my diabetes shocks many people, myself included, but time and time again I hear about patients who are just like I used to be... HCP's ask me about how I turned things around and my honest answer is by using social media, however I still feel that I chose to gain control far too late. I wish I had done it sooner, I wish it had been suggested to me sooner, and that’s what I hope to get across to HCP's when I talk to them, that a turning point for their patients could be just around the corner.

During my presentation I talked about how my recovery began. For me it was a combined recovery, using face-to-face clinic appointments alongside social media. I think for many HCP's this may sound like a strange combination, or certainly a few years ago it may have, but now I know many people who, like I did, use social media as a part of the diabetes treatment. For so many, thousands in fact, social media plays an important role in not only peer support but also diabetes education, building confidence around living with diabetes, learning to trust and communicate with our health care teams, developing our own knowledge and understanding about the condition and many more aspects. Social media isn’t just about sharing pictures of cats, it’s so much more than just being social, it’s about learning, directing, engaging and developing. The face-to-face appointment aspect has really helped me too – It made me realise what a wonderful, dedicated and passionate health care team we have in Portsmouth. In a funny way it wasn’t until I started to really trust them that I realised how passionate I could be about the condition that had tormented me for such a long time.

The ‘and finally’ part of my talk came with a take home message - although there are thousands of patients who use social media as a part of their diabetes treatment, there are still thousands who don’t. There will be many reasons for this and, as I said during my talk, social media isn’t for everyone, but there will be many patients who can and will benefit from it. Perhaps it would just take that small suggestion, like I had three years ago, to take a look and see what comes of it.

Three years ago, when Partha suggested I set up an account for local patients to connect with one another, I didn’t think it would help my diabetes in the slightest. I really felt that I was a lost cause, however I’ve achieved a lot in the last three years – A reduced HbA1c, dormant retinopathy, confidence in living with diabetes, knowledge of how to avoid complications, feeling able to take control and improve my self-management and perhaps the most important to me is being involved in making changes in how diabetes care is delivered for others. If I had known all of this after my diagnosis, before I took so many wrong turns and ended up in trouble with my health, I would have done things very differently. I would have taken responsibility and had better outcomes and that’s what I hope others can achieve. Like I said, it’s not for everyone, but for some, social media can be one of the best tools they have against diabetes.

I gained 88 new twitter followers during the Diabetes UK Professional Conference. Over half of these are Health Care Professionals… Now I’m excited to see how we can work together on social media for the benefit of patients. Let’s see just how much of an impact we had and which changes have been made at next year’s conference…

Ninjabetic x 

The Diabetes UK Professional Conference - Time to Take Control

“After bouncing off stage I let out a huge sigh of relief. I looked around and saw faces staring at me, smiling at me, nodding and clapping... It was a very surreal moment, but one that will stay in my mind forever.”

I wrote this last year after delivering a presentation at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference about the Diabetes Online Community. I was able to provide an insight into what online support has to offer patients, their families and carers, and touching on how Health Care Professionals (HCPs) could introduce it to their patients. The audience was comprised mostly of HCPs, which gave me perhaps the biggest opportunity I’ve had to get my message across to those who can reach wide groups of patients. Social media may not be the biggest player when it comes to improving diabetes care, but you can’t deny that it has become a key influence for thousands of patients in the UK, if you want to find out for yourself then go online and listen to what they’re saying.

Tomorrow I will be heading off to London, once again, for the Diabetes UK Professional Conference, this year titled ‘Time to Take Control’... 

Read more...

The Diabetes UK Professional Conference

The annual Diabetes UK Professional Conference is being held next week (March 5th-7th) in Liverpool.

"Diabetes UK's Professional Conference is one of the largest healthcare conferences in the UK, attracting up to 3000 attendees.

Innovative and invaluable to healthcare professionals, the conference delivers information on the latest global developments in diabetes care and research, offering a unique opportunity for delegates to network with professionals from varying fields. The exhibition brings together those from voluntary, corporate and pharmaceutical sectors who share an interest in diabetes care." - Diabetes UK.

I am honoured to have been invited back to the conference to give another presentation about the Diabetes Online Community, and this time including Our Diabetes, as part of the Quality in Care (QiC) Diabetes 2013 programme.

During my presentation I'll be talking to diabetes Health Care Professionals (HCPs) about how and why I found the Diabetes Online Community and the way that it has helped me turn my life around for the better. I'll also be showing examples of what the #DOC has done for other patients, parents and also for HCPs. I really want to emphasise how much patients and the people who care for them can be helped with this amazing platform, and how it can assist HCPs in delivering the best care the can to their patients.

I'll also be talking about Our Diabetes (#ourD) and showcasing the diabetes tweet chats that started last year. For those who don't know, Our Diabetes brings a new concept to tweet chats because they are hosted by a different member of the diabetes online community each week, they then discuss a diabetes topic of their choice. This doesn't just mean that patients are hosting but anyone who is involved in diabetes in some way can do the same.

As an admin member for Our Diabetes I've seen and heard really positive comments about Our Diabetes and hope that I can pass this on in my presentation. 

I just hope I do the #DOC and #ourD justice! 

The Diabetes UK Professional Conference - Meet the Professionals

This week I attended the Diabetes UK Professional Conference which was held in Manchester. I was invited there as a member of the Diabetes UK Young Leaders Action Group to give a talk about social media and how it has helped me change my diabetes for the better. I was also there as Ninjabetic (a diabetes advocate) and as myself (someone who’s fast approaching 11 years with Type 1 diabetes).

 

I had two intentions while I was at the conference:

 

Firstly I wanted to get across the message that social media has been the most powerful tool in getting me on track with my diabetes.

 

Secondly I wanted to gain an insight into the professional world of diabetes, to hear what happens in meetings, behind closed doors and away from the patients.

 

The latter was very easy to do as no one knew that I was a patient, other than the few who recognised me from twitter pictures. I sat in talks about depression and best practice; I listened to speeches that included research, data analysis, trials and studies… The majority of it was new to me, and the majority of it impressed me.

 

Because so much information is kept away from the patients it was a real eye opener to sit and listen to consultants, nurses and managers talking about the issues that are discussed by patients on social media every day. Being able to listen to health care professionals was an inspiring and captivating experience. It was also very motivating to find that there was the same passion behind their voices as I read in people’s tweets or Facebook comments. There was a lot of willing to think outside the box and to reach outside of the comfort zone. I learnt a great deal from this side of the conference & I feel that other patients would greatly benefit from experiencing similar.

 

When it came to my talk about social media I knew that it would be very different to the talks that had been given throughout the rest of the conference. I started by saying that I didn’t have fancy statistics and charts, that I didn’t have any data or tables to prove that social media has helped me. The only evidence that I had was right there in front of them... it was me.

 

A few minutes before the talk I’d bumped into my old consultant who had looked after me through my nine non-compliant years. As I looked around the crowd I saw him sat quietly in the audience listening to everything that was being said, and it was a comfort to know that he was there to support me and to see how far I’d come.

 

I explained my journey and referred to the destructive years that I’d had prior to taking care of my diabetes. I explained what Ninjabetic was and what the Diabetes Online Community gave to myself and others. I finished by saying that one simple suggestion to start using social media to interact with others could be the turning point for patients. I wanted to emphasise that this free tool could help patients engage with their diabetes and be a huge benefit to their management.

I’d like to think that I was able to reach a few of the people who were sat in the audience, that I may have left an impression on those HCPs that I didn't know. If only one of them suggests the use of social media to a patient then I would know that I’d done a good job that day.

 

I admit that the support I had from the Diabetes Online Community before during and after the talk was overwhelming compared to the response from the audience. If I’d received anywhere near the reaction or support from the audience that I had from the patients and carers on twitter then maybe I wouldn’t have felt so disheartened when the talk was over.

So what did I personally take away from the whole experience? Positives and negatives... as I’d expected.

The same conversations are happening… conversations that excite us and spark debate amongst us! Conversations that could lead to great things for the future of diabetes care. However what stood out the most for me is that both patients and Health Care Professionals are discussing the same topics… they just aren’t coming together to do so in the way that they should be.

 

Communication is key.

 

Ninjabetic

What a difference two years makes....

After Hannah and I were asked to speak at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference in March this year, it really hit home how much has happened in the last 2 years. Looking back I can’t believe where I am today and how I got here.

In January 2011 I’d had diabetes for 9 years. Diagnosed at the age of 16 I didn’t know anyone who had diabetes. I didn’t know what it was, what it meant or how it could affect me. It was a completely new world to me… a world that scared me. I thought it would take away my independence, my friends, my future… and myself.

For nine years I refused anything and everything to do with my diabetes. Injections, blood glucose testing, HbA1c tests, appointments with health care professionals… I pretended I didn’t have diabetes… though I knew it was always lurking in the shadows, waiting to catch up with me.

 

2 years ago my HbA1c was around 15 and that was the lowest it had ever been.

2 years ago I was in A&E again with DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis).

2 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 retinopathy and told I would lose my sight.

2 years ago I’d never met anyone else with diabetes.

2 years ago I regretted every single day that I hadn’t looked after myself and my diabetes.

 

But no more!

Today my HbA1c is 7.8

Today it has been 20 months since my last admission with DKA.

Today my retinopathy has halted in my left eye and is slowing in my right.

Today I’ve met amazing and inspiring people who have diabetes.

Today I still regret every single mistake that I made… but I hope others can learn from them.

“A dead end can never be a one way street; you can always turn around and take another road.”

It’s not easy… if it was then I wouldn’t have ignored it for such a long time. But for me, anything that I do on a daily basis for my diabetes has now become second nature. I barely think when I’m reaching into my bag for my blood glucose meter. I don’t flinch when I see a needle going into my skin anymore. Carb counting has become easier now that apps are available at the touch of a button. Appointments are something that I look forward to, because I get so much out of them. I lap up the information that I’m given by my consultant instead of just smiling and nodding like I used to. I ask questions constantly, I challenge methods of treatment and changes to my regime because I realise now just how precious my health is.

Now that I my health and my life back I want to make every option and opportunity work for me if I feel it’s right.

 

On top of daily diabetes management I study Monday - Friday, volunteer, work long evening and weekend shifts and involve myself with as many diabetes projects as I can… conferences, events, meetings, more volunteering, research projects, writing etc. Then I look at other people who also do so much on top of their daily diabetes lives and it makes me smile to think of what can be achieved and how diabetes doesn’t hold people back. It’s definitely worth the work and it really does pay off.

This blog is to demonstrate to anyone who is struggling that they can accept their diabetes and find a positive and healthy way to manage it. There is always a way out, there are always people to help and guide us, and there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. If I can do it then I think anyone can!

Hannah's story....

on the 26^th November I got an early Christmas present. For a long time me and Laura (aka ninjabetic) had been asking , ok more like annoying, our leader at diabetes uk to be allowed to attend the diabetes uk professional conference in March . on the 26^th Alex came back with some even better news - we were being invited to speak at it! So on the 14^th march me Alex and Laura will be speaking to hopefully a number of hcp about our work as young leaders and the use of social media. Frankly I’m a little scared about this but it did make me realise how far I’ve come in the past 2 years with some sheer determination, some great friends and a pretty awesome (and very patient) diabetes team.

2 years ago this month I was at rock bottom with my diabetes and self-confidence I was sat in the hospital with my a1c at 10.5 % I was on a very slippery slope with my diabetes. The way I was going I would have had severe complications by my 20s and wouldn’t of made my 40^th . I was doing maybe one bloodcount a day, was skipping injections and the injections I was doing I was guessing the dose of. All the locums I’d had previously had written me off as non compliant and didn’t even bother trying to get through to me .I’d had several scary hypos but nothing would get through to me every time my doctor or nurse would try to convince me to do things properly it would go in one ear and straight out the other. Then I got told if I didn’t sort myself out I wouldn’t make my 40^th suddenly the reality hit me that I needed to take care of my diabetes

2 years later I’m a young leader for diabetes uk mentoring teens and annoying , sorry advising , doctors on trying to improve care for type 1 whilst studying for my a levels in the hopes of being a children’s nurse. 2 years later I’ve met some of the most amazing friends I could of wished for and been given opportunities I could never of imagined when I was rebelling. i confess I don’t work anywhere near as hard as Laura does on ninjabetic because my blog was never set up to be a support site (I love that teens will come and talk to me though!) it was set up to provide a very unsugarcoated account of what it’s like to live with type 1 as a teenager, the good parts and the bad. 2 years on from my a1c of 10.5 im on an insulin pump testing  seven times a day with an average bg of 7.8 (just after exams it will get better) and with less hypos.

I’ve already been told that my team will be on the front row and also my pump rep.the fight for the insulin pump was something that took nearly 2 years and was so so worth the fight. I went from having to be completely obsessive over my diabetes to actually being able to relax a bit. It’s not perfect I can still have phases where I have 3 or 4 hypos a day or sometimes be hypo for up to 3 hours.  The pump gave me my life back and that may sound like an over exaggeration but it really isn’t for me. Before the pump I was spending every minute trying to control my volatile bloodcounts the pump has let me be a teen again.

4 years ago when I first heard about the professional conference I dreamt that I could speak at it speak about what its really like to be a teenager with type 1. I never thought I’d actually reach that dream , at the time it seemed so unrealistic  but with the help of diabetes uk I am gonna reach that goal. 

Cheers 2012 - Onwards to 2013

 

 

 

Taken this year - Just after I started taking care of my diabetes for the 1st time in 10 years.

 

Over the past year my life has done a complete U turn and dramatically changed for the better. In June 2011 I was continuing on my path of self destruction just like I had done since my diagnosis in 2002. During yet another admission with DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) I stumbled/collapsed on to a tie hating, batman loving, knight in shining armour who gave me the help and courage I needed to turn things around. However this didn't happen straight away, and for six months after meeting Partha (my diabetes consultant) I carried on being stubborn, scared and naive about my diabetes. Fortunately Partha is even more stubborn that I am, and in January this year he convinced me that enough was enough and I decided to change before it was too late. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him and I hope he knows how grateful I am that he hasn't given up on me, even though I don't always show it.

Doctor picture - Hard at work saving the Type 1 world

Being pro-active and engaged with my diabetes has been a real eye opener for me and I can't believe the amount I've learnt in just one year! I fell in love with the diabetic online community (#doc) as soon as I joined. I've spoken the most wonderful and inspiring people who motivate me everyday and keep me from falling into my old trap again. Connecting with other people who have diabetes, their families and carers is the best education I could have asked for. On top of that there are health care professionals who encourage us to speak up and tell them what we need for our health so they can make those changes. The feeling of having an online community this strong makes having diabetes so much easier and I wouldn't be able to get through it with out those people.

I've been lucky enough to meet a few of the people I speak to online: Anne, Izzy, Dave, Melissa, Alex, Joe, Zoe, Gavin, Mairead, Martyn, Ben, Kevin & Mr Grumps.

Anne and Izzy - thank you both for being such good friends to me and for always knowing what to say when I needed it the most. Last but certainly not least there's Hannah, my online diabetes sister who knows me inside out. At 17 years old she is mature articulate and inspiring and I'm proud to call her my friend.

There are so many more people to mention for showing support to myself and each other but there just isn't enough space... you all know who you are and I hope to be able to put more faces to names in the next year.





Myself and Hannah at the Diabetes UK Big Event 2012

Anne Hannah and Izzy at the Diabetes UK Big Event 2012

This year I have also been privilaged to be able to work with Diabetes UK as a Young Leader, helping to change healthcare for young people with Type 1 diabetes. On October 13th 2009 someone from the Diabetes UK Careline helped me in a way that no one ever had before. I don't know who this person was, but they saved me that day without even knowing it. For that I am eternally grateful and I am honoured to be able to give something back to this amazing charity.

The Diabetes UK Young Leaders 2012

I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has given me writing oportunities over the past 12 months: Diabetes UK, The Independent, The Portsmouth News, Diabeto Device, Timesulin, Plymouth University, The Journal of Diabetes Nursing and DRWF Wellness magazine. 

Attending The Diabetes UK Big Event, Diabetes UK HQ, The European Association for the Study of Diabetes and Animas HQ have all been brilliant experiences as well and I look forward to many more in 2013.

So cheers 2012 and onwards to 2013 whatever it may bring.

Thank you ninjas - lots of love x



Ninjabetic x

November - diabetes awareness month

November really has been an amazing Diabetes month! I haven't stopped at all and I've loved every minute of it, as I'm sure we all have!

Firstly I attended another Young Leaders meeting at Diabetes UK head quarters. This was our third meeting and I can really feel the progress that's being made. It's clear that a lot of work has been put in since we last met at the Big Event during the summer. This hard work is down to the wonderful Alex and Matt who keep us in the loop and keep us on our toes. The group will officially kick off next year and I'm sure that we will be making a big splash in the world of diabetes... for now though... my lips are sealed about our plans.

Next on my diabetes agenda was to write two guest blogs. One was for Timesulin about what World Diabetes Day means to me and why I feel it is so important. I was really pleased when I was asked to do this, I know that Timesulin has made a big difference to many people's diabetes self management, also the team are absolutely lovely and do a lot to raise awareness for diabetes! I love to give back to the people who I feel really and truly want to help people with their diabetes, and I get this feeling every time I speak to one of their team.

Blog number two was for Diabeto device who are the makers of my favourite little blue birdie diabetes accessory. I regularly interact with one of the creators and was really happy when he asked me to write for them. I was told that I could choose any diabetes topic I liked ,so I went with Blood Glucose Monitors. I chose my Accu-check Expert as I'd just found out that my HbA1c result had improved and I feel that I owe a lot to my meter.

Next up was a biggie for me! I was honoured to be asked by Diabetes UK if I would like to write about my diagnosis for the Independent which would be published on World Diabetes Day!

What an amazing opportunity to have a bigger voice to raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes! The article that I wrote was in support of the Diabetes UK 4ts campaign which is something that is very close to my heart. After a traumatic diagnosis I'll do anything I can to prevent that from happening to someone else. This is why I support their campaign and why I included it in the article... the message is simple but so strong. This campaign wasn't just for World Diabetes Day or for November, but it's for every day until a cure has been found!

Finally I travelled to Animas head quarters on World Diabetes Day to meet with their team and take part in talks and focus groups. I met with my lovely friend @Superbetic_T1 and the mysterious @grumpy_pumper (who I caught smiling at least twice throughout the day!) We listened to inspirational talks from teams of Type 1s who had swum the channel and @Superbetic_T1 told us about how he's recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro despite only being diagnosed a few months before!

At lunch I thrilled (bored really) Fred Gill with stories of why I want to become a Diabetes Specialist Nurse. I was completely unaware of who he was and was a little embarrassed when I found out that he rows for Great Britain. He was actually there to give us a talk about his experience of diagnosis and adapting, but sadly he had to listen to me nattering away before hand!

The whole animas team came together at the end of the day for a walk around the offices, all dressed in blue, to celebrate World Diabetes Day together. At the end, Simon (regional sales manager for animas), took the mic (for what I was hoping was the start of a karaoke session) and thanked us all for our support!

It was a good day and every time I checked twitter or facebook I saw the words World Diabetes Day plastered everywhere. I could tell that people were making a massive difference in any way that I could... articles, post card exchanges, photos, events, talks, fundraising, blogs... anything and everything!

May the amazing work support and awareness carry on into the future until the cure is found!

Diabetes UK Young Leaders - The night before The Big Event

I had intended to write a blog about the Diabetes UK Big Event which was held on Saturday 14th July (2012) but unfortunately I didn't get to see much of it, so this would have been the extent of the blog (I'll write a mini one about the meeting soon). Instead I'm going to write about the social side of the event because the social element has now become an important part of my diabetes regime.

Friday 13th July (2012) was the date that the Diabetes UK Young Leaders had been given to reunite, to socialise, to welcome new faces and ideas and to prepare themselves for a productive meeting the next day.

The 20 Young Leaders are from the UK Ireland Scotland and Wales and are all between the ages of 17-30. The aim of the group is to lead young people with diabetes, to support them and to offer guidance. There is a gap in the service for young people at the moment and we want to fill that gap with ideas plans and action to create a better future.

The agenda for our day was going to be taken up mostly by meetings to discuss and finalise plans for the Young Leaders group. The setting was Warwick University where the Diabetes UK Big Event was taking place, it was the perfect setting for young people to meet.

Our "social meeting" was to begin (and end for me) in a bar named "The Mucky Duck" which we arrived at around 5:30pm. Too early I hear you say? Well so did I, but being the oldest I was shouted down and forced.. I mean literally dragged kicking and screaming into the bar! Once I had gotten over my utter shock of being manhandled I calmed down and soaked up the converstaions.

Obviously we all have our diabetes in common and chatting revolved around this to begin with.. What we eat, who has a pump, how our blood sugars are doing etc and I was lapping it all up! See this is something that I had never experienced throughout my 10 years of living with diabetes, until a few months ago when we all met for the first time. I realised when I had left the last meeting that this is what I had been craving all along! The people who completely understand what I'm going through. People who can give me advice and share tips and experiences. People who I can honestly and openly talk to about anything diabetes related because the chances are they've been through it themselves.

Friendships are powerful things and with a condition like diabetes I think they can be a massive influence in the way we take care of ourselves and they way we view life with diabetes.

So the conversations soon turned to football, which meant that I could move away from the guys and chat to Hannah who is quickly becoming like a little sister to me. We chatted away until the heavens opened up and we had to take shelter inside. Our next stop was a pit stop for fuel (food and insulin) at the student restaurant/bar.

This is a new experience for me as I've never eaten with other people who have diabetes before. We all picked from the menu and Hannah calculated my carb intake for me as I had no idea what it was. It was all very exciting and new as I usually eat in front of my computer at work, in front of my laptop at home or on the go when I'm rushing around! Sitting down to enjoy a meal with good friends was what I really needed. I actually enjoyed taking my time over the food and tasting it for what seemed like the first time in ages! Having that good experience and associating it with food is something which is lacking for me, so once again my diabetes friends have helped me more than they know!

After we had all had our fill we headed back to The Mucky Duck where the guys hovered around a young pretty barmaid and the girls sat and chatted. By this time there were a few additions to the group and we all mingled as much as we could. Unfortunately the guys were in what looked like a hypo trance around the pretty barmaid so I left them flexing their muscles to chat to Joe who manages the social media side for Diabetes UK. Working in social media and health care is my dream job so I bombarded him with questions about how he uses social media to interact with different people on a daily basis. I learnt so much and ideas kept popping into my head about how I could reach more people, help more people and make more of a difference. Another win for diabetes as I now had even more motivation thanks to all of this socialising!

As the clock started ticking closer to midnight I started to feel the early alarm I'd had and the long journey, so I made my excuses (being old was one of them) and headed for bed. Only 3 of us left early but I don't think my night could have been any better. I watched people laughing and joking with each other as I left and I was happy. I'd spent time in the company of some wonderful people and had even more to come the next day. Every time that I speak to someone about my diabetes I get inspired to make more of a difference to other people. I don't think that I would be where I am today if it wasn't for the great care that I receive at my hospital, but I know that I can maintain that with the diabetes friends who I speak to every day. They are just as important to me as my HCPs now, and for that I want to say thank you to everyone.

Ninjabetic x

Festival fun time tips

As festival season is fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips and tricks with you all, so that you can stay safe while having fun!

I needed a bit of expert advice from a certain pro in case I started dishing out nonsense, but I had to be sneaky... I had to become The Ninja!

Without wanting to raise suspicion as to what I was doing, I planned a covert operation in order to gather intelligence from a man who has some.

I believe that my subtle questioning worked, as I left with the information that I needed. However having to awkwardly approach tip 23 means that I can no longer look this hcp in the eye.... But I did it for you guys!

So check out the tips and links and feel free to add your own in the comments box at the end of the blog. Happy festivaling guys!!

• Download a site map before you go
• Choose a tent that you will recognise - bright funky colours and patterns etc
• Buy a solar charger for your phone
• Make yourself familiar with the first aid/welfare/meeting area as soon as you get there
• Where possible on arrival and when departing, try to stay to the side or maybe arrive and leave a little later to avoid the crowds. Especially important when departing due to the smell of unwashed festival friends
• Money money and more money (this is when parents come in handy!)
• Food glorious food! (There are always shops nearby, just jump on a bus and stock up.)
• Make plans in case you lose your mates, your funky tent, your parents money etc
• Set reminders on your phone to test your sugars and take your insulin
• Most first aid points are happy to store medication which needs refrigerating, but take a cool pack just in case
• Also take a doctors note with your prescribed medication on it
• Take ID with you and wear a MediAlert or something similar. That way if you do have a hypo, people will be able to help you and not assume that you've just had one too many
• Stock up on hypo treatments and keep some with you at all times
• Insulin - If on pens then talk to your diabetes team about splitting your long acting insulin (half in the morning and half at night) it in case you do accidentally forget to take it, that way you will have some protection. Check with your doctor before doing this though - just give them a call
• Take back-up disposable insulin pens in case your pump or other pens get damaged in a mosh pit
• Stay away from people with unnecessarily large spikes in their hair if you do get dragged into a mosh pit
• All festivals run an on-site hospital staffed by doctors and nurses, and also include pharmacy's. These aren't NHS pharmacy's though and will charge for medication, so get a receipt and claim your parents money back for you to spend at a later date
• Take adequate supplies as the on-site pharmacy may not have a huge amount of stock
• Don't inject, change pump sets or test your blood sugars in the toilets - use the family areas or the site hospital
• Think about your parents, they do worry (no matter how old you are) so give them a text every day to let them know that you're ok and that their money is being well spent!
• Don't drink anything that you haven't opened yourself or that you have let out of your sight
• Wear sun cream, drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun when possible (remember - heat affects insulin and may cause it to go off and it also affects insulin absorption and can cause hypos)
• Lastly....please use condoms (unless you want to call your child "Download" or "Reading and Leeds Fest") - get them for free from your GP or GUM clinic (unfortunately they don't give out JLS branded there)
• Oh and bulk buy baby wipes (you'll need them, trust me)

http://blogs.diabetes.org.uk/?p=2103

http://www.powerbee.co.uk/solar-phone-chargers.html 

http://www.friouk.com/ 

http://www.stickmedesigns.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wowbands-funky-and-affordable-medical-ID/206583892689328?ref=pb

(you may want to send these links to your £ parents £)

Ninjabetic

Young Leaders Assemble

Over the past few weeks many of us would have seen a team come together…. Combining strength power and knowledge with one target in their sight.

 

Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited the Avengers, a team of super humans, to destroy Loki and his army by any means possible.

Yesterday a new army was formed to unite against diabetes. An army of passionate, experienced, brave and determined people with type 1 diabetes, who will stand and fight for the cause….for our cause. The Young Leaders were there to assemble and I can tell you now….we did just that!

Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawk Eye – names that you will recognise mostly because of their individual powers. We have seen the impact that they had when finally coming together, however as a team they struggled to bond. As Bruce Banner said; “We’re not a team, we’re a ticking time bomb.”

The Young Leaders however ARE a team. We bonded, we shared, we connected, we understood and we listened. The war on diabetes will now face a new team of Avengers, a 20 strong group with amazing skills, working together as one.

The Young Leaders who I met yesterday are all incredible people, with inspiring motivation through their own experience of living with type 1 diabetes. Amongst the group we had a marketing manager, a training optometrist, fundraisers, nurses, college students wanting to study medicine, graduates and support workers….to name but a few.

The mission that has been given to us is to design and shape a service giving young adults with type 1 diabetes a consistent voice. We are going to connect with and support people living with diabetes in ways which we know will work.

We will combine our experience and skills to work with Diabetes UK and health care professionals, creating a force to be reckoned with.

Ideas have been formed, we have a structure - a sturdy one, we have plans and we have the tools to implement them. We have nothing to lose but everything to gain from this, and I know that we will achieve great things. We have all looked up to heroes in the past, those brave relentless and courageous idols who let nothing get in their way. This is how I see the Young Leaders….they’re my heroes and I am honoured to be a part of their team. 

Ninjabetic