Meal time management and hypoglycemia

A little while ago the team at Novo Nordisk approached me to write a blog and record a video about how I manage my diabetes to avoid hypoglycemia. As food is one of my favourite things in the world I decided to focus on carbohydrate counting and the way that it has helped me to overcome my highs and lows around food. 

Please click on this link to read my blog and watch my video. 

Please also give Novo a follow on twitter for more updates. 

Laura x 

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. 

Seeing Beyond Diabetic Retinopathy

According to Time hop, five years ago today was a very important moment in my life, although at that time I couldn’t see past the fear and uncertainty I was facing. I had come to a dead end and I couldn’t see my future ahead of me...

Continue reading my column at The Diabetes Times.

Laura/Ninjabetic x 

A letter to my 16 year old self...

Dear 16 year old me,

One day everything will change for you. You may not feel it now, or for a very long time in fact, but one day everything will start to get better. I promise you that.

You’ve just been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. You’re scared, angry, confused and currently you’re very much in denial about your condition. You’re hiding away from it as much as you possibly can and at the same time you’re trying to fight it, to protect yourself and your family from the way it makes you feel. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Each day is an ever weakening battle to muster up the energy to move, to think, even to smile, but you but you carry on regardless because you don’t know what else you should do. You don’t really understand what it entails, what this diagnosis will bring, and what you do know of it has frightened you enough to make you want to run as far as you possibly can and hide from it... (cont)

Let's talk about sex (and diabetes), baby!

"I thought about my own knowledge when it comes to sex and diabetes and realised that this page seemed to be missing from the book. You know that giant dusty diabetes book that most of us edit and adapt in our own unique way..."

It's time to grab a tea or coffee, maybe a biscuit too (go on, treat yourself!) and settle down on the sofa to read more about sex and diabetes in my latest column for The Diabetes Times.

Laura x

It's okay to be selfish

I’ve realised recently that it’s okay to occasionally be selfish. 

I’ve realised that saying yes isn’t always a good thing and that by occasionally saying no I’m taking better care of myself. 

I’ve realised that the activities I enjoy can be difficult to get pleasure from if I don't think about my own needs as well as others.

I’ve realised that comparing myself to others is destructive and can impact on me physically and emotionally... (cont)

Diabetes Care - What Works

**Disclaimer** This blog is about methods that work for me and my diabetes, in my clinic setting, with the team that provides my care. We all have very different care, funding, time, management techniques, preferences etc, so this blog is from my personal experience and musings.

I’m conscious that when I’m asked to present at conferences, training sessions, lectures or write for journals and other publications, many of the requests I receive are about what went wrong with my diabetes and my care. When I deliver a presentation I always ensure that whoever is listening understands that what happened was in my past and is not my present or future. A great deal has changed in my T1D care over the last 4 years and I have a lot to be thankful for... (cont) 

Creating new T1 Diabetes models of care

The weekend just gone was very special for me and one that I will remember as the first time that I have ever felt truly positive about change in Type 1 Diabetes care. 

I was invited to attend an inaugural meeting in which patients with T1D, carers, Health Care Professionals (HCPs) and commissioners would come together to develop ideas to improve the care that patients receive throughout the UK. It was an honour to be asked and to be amongst some of the best in the world of diabetes... (cont) 

Dear Doctor

Dear Doctor,

I don’t know if you’ll remember me, we met 13 years ago in your GP surgery. You were the first Health Care Professional that I had spoken to in the UK following my diagnosis in Paris. You had a kind face and you were friendly and welcoming... (cont) 

My monthly article for The Diabetes Times is a delicate discussion about understanding the reasons behind insulin restriction, omission and diabulimia. Please click this link to read it. I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so please comment here or find me on twitter (@ninjabetic1) or on facebook (ninjabetics) to let me know what you think.

Laura x 

November 2015 Favourites

Here are some of my favourite diabetes things that I've been using this month. I should really have made this into a video but maybe this will work for now... Please let me know what your favourite diabetes things are! (cont)

We are the world in world diabetes day #insulin4all

Everyone with diabetes deserves to live long, healthy and happy lives! Insulin, test strips, blood glucose meters etc should not be a luxury, they should be available to anyone who needs them. We need to support people and advocate for them until they are provided with what they need to manage their diabetes! (cont)

Type 1 Diabetes… A day in the life #DiabetesAwarenessMonth

7:00am – Mr T’s alarm wakes me up. Wait until he gets up then stretch out in bed.

8:00am – Get out of bed as Mr T leaves for work. Test blood sugars (4.1). Drink a little Lucozade.

8:05am - Look over Dexcom history for that night... (Cont)

My week of diabetes

Stur water enhancer

A few weeks ago the peeps from Stur contacted me asking if I'd like to try their water enhancer. As I was about to say "thank you, that's very kind but I don't drink water", I thought back to the one and only new years resolution that I make every year and every year I break - To drink more water! (cont) 

My Dare Devil Diabetes

Recently I was asked to create a model of what diabetes looks like to me; this was to give an insight into diabetes for a medical device company... (cont)

A Pretty Muddy Run with Type 1 Diabetes

As promised, here's my video about taking on the Race For Life Pretty Muddy Run!

Enjoy!

Ninjabetic x 

Mud, sun and Type 1

This weekend myself and my friend (and fellow Type 1) Kelly, ran the Race For Life in memory of our friend, Tanwen. Well, I say run... it was really a mixture of jogging, walking, crawling, climbing, sliding, jumping and falling! (cont) 

Hid-In insulin pump panties review

As some of you who follow me on twitter may have seen, I've been tweeting about my pants recently. Not because I've gone slightly mad or have become a fashion blogger (I'm still all about the betes!), but because I was sent a pair of Hid-In insulin pump pants to try out! (cont)

Blog lovin'

I'm currently making my way back to Southsea after being in Cardiff delivering a presentation about blogging and diabetes. I presented during a paediatric diabetes study day and I'm really hoping that my experience of blogging will encourage the HCPs (Health Care Professionals) who attended to encourage their patients to give it a try... (cont)