A letter to my parents...

Please click on this link to access my latest piece for The Diabetes Times; A letter to my parents 14 years after my diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes.

Laura 

Insulin pumping 4 years on

To begin this blog I must send out an apology. It would appear it has been 6 months since I last posted on here and although I have regular thoughts on blogger topics that I'd like to share, my time and energy levels have taken me away from my previous health-related brain dumps. I'd like to say that I can now go back to blogging as I had before, however working as an actual real life nurse now (I know, it's a scary thought) is far more physically and mentally demanding than I could have ever expected. That's not to say that I don't love my job, I absolutely adore it in so many ways, I just now need to summon enough energy and motivation to get back to my old advocacy and social media ways. It would appear that people have, sadly, lied to me, and coffee does not provide adequate support in summoning these blogging essentials.  

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. 

Review of the new Carbs and Cals books

A few weeks ago the lovely people at Carbs and Cals contacted me to see if I wanted to provide feedback on their new books; Carb and Calorie Counter, Smoothies and Salads. Of course I said yes straight away, these would be the perfect tools to aid my new diet/exercise and overhaul of my diabetes/gastroparesis management, all rolled into three delicious looking books! (cont)

How to insert Abbott's Freestyle Libre sensor

My long overdue YouTube tutorial showing you how to insert the Abbott Freestyle Libre sensor and start it up! Click on the pic to watch, enjoy and please leave comments and feedback!

Laura 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)

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) 

December Favourites

Find my favourite December purchases here... (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) 

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)

Frio wallet review

This blog is long long long overdue and for that I apologise. I think subconsciously I have taken my time with it as I will be reminded of kicking back and lying on a beach without a care in the world... good times. Now that I am well and truly switched off from holiday mode and have returned to the daily grind of uni, work, uni, revision, uni, uni, uni, work, eating and sleeping, I have slowly (at a snails pace) started to catch up with blogging and trying out all of the diabetes bits and pieces that fall through my letter box... (cont)

Kaleido - Insulin pump patch

My demo Kaleido pump (minus the infusion set) - see more on my instagram

Disclaimer: I was asked to meet 2 of the Kaleido team to view their new insulin patch pump. I have not been paid or asked to write this blog. I was bought a diet coke during the meeting though – I was thirsty. I am not currently using a Kaleido insulin patch pump. These pumps are not currently being used by people with diabetes to deliver insulin (I'm told).... (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