<p class="">In this post, I will provide a short summary of the information revealed from parliamentary question responses on how many people in Ireland use insulin pumps, what clinics provide them as a treatment option and how many new pump starts are done each year. </p>

<p class="">I realised last year that in all the blog posts I’d done these last 13 years, I have never shared my diagnosis story, so here it goes. My diabetes diagnosis is not unique; many of my friends with diabetes share similar experiences; however, some people end up very ill and may have spent time in intensive care units in hospitals. Thankfully this was not the case for me, but I did feel like I was dying.</p>

Abbott’s dX events are always interesting and aren’t just about product updates. DxMilan in Italy was no different and incorporated important issues around diabetes equity, discrimination and stigma. But I especially loved the workshop on building a bridge to lessen the divide between the type 1 and type 2 communities. Disclosure : I flew to Milan on Friday, 23rd June and back the next afternoon. Abbott paid for my flight, accommodation and travel expenses. Freestyle Libre Pr

<p class="">The purpose of the document is to provide <strong>an estimate</strong> of the number of people who are <strong>using HSE-funded Flash and CGMs</strong> in Ireland and to prompt a discussion around access equality. I believe we need to talk about how fair it is that so many are approved for HSE funding and why some people are still being made to pay.</p>

<p class="">Thirty years of diabetes means thirty years of diabetes care as a health “service user”. In my previous 30 years of diabetes post, I focused on how my diabetes management has changed significantly. This post is about how I've been a healthcare service user. I’ve changed my care a lot because it took me some time to find the care I needed. </p>

<p class="">Thirty years of diabetes means thirty years of diabetes care as a health “service user”. In my previous 30 years of diabetes post, I focused on how my diabetes management has changed significantly. This post is about how I've been a healthcare service user. I’ve changed my care a lot because it took me some time to find the care I needed. </p>

<p class="">Since 2018 I’ve been getting emails from people with diabetes in Ireland asking about the availability of the tubeless insulin pump, Omnipod, made by Insulet.&nbsp;When companies began to announce their new pumps being available in Ireland, I began to suspect that Omnipod was either not approved or Insulet had not applied for the tender. So I decided to find out which it was.&nbsp;The missing pump piece. </p>

<p class="">April 2023 marked five years since the revolutionary flash glucose monitor, the Freestyle FS Libre, became free for people with type 1 diabetes in Ireland, however, <strong>only to those aged between the age of four and twenty-one years</strong>, which is approximately 20% of our population. This post reflects on the lack of progress there has been in making FS Libre available to those over age 21 years in Ireland. </p>

<p class="">In April, I celebrated my 30-year diaversary, meaning I’ve lived with diabetes for 30 years. The tools I use to help me manage my diabetes have changed dramatically in that time, but most of those changes have only taken place in the last ten years or less. Here is my diabetes journey through the tools I have had access to. </p>

<p class=""><a href="https://www.dexcom.com/en-IE/dexcom-g7-cgm-system"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor CGM, the G7</span></a> is available now in Ireland. The main differences are that G7 has a 30-minute warmup and the transmitter is included in every sensor, so there is no need for the two-step process when applying to have it funded by the HSE. Here’s some more information to accessing the G7 in Ireland.</p>

<p class="">I started using a brand new-to-Ireland pump, the <a href="https://www.airliquidehealthcare.co.uk/diabetes-service"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Tandem T:Slim insulin pump with Control IQ</span></a>, on July 6th. Then, on the 16th of July, I went on holiday to America, where I travelled to six cities in three weeks, got home for a night but the next day flew back to the US for another 5 days due to tragic circumstances. So, me and my pump have not had a

<p class="">Many of you may already be aware that I’m in the process of getting an insulin pump upgrade-my fourth. Before I start this new chapter I decided to reflect my journey so far and why I decided to try an insulin pump in the first place.</p>

<p class="">We are fully in the Summer holiday season and everyone except me is mad to get to places where sunshine and warmth are guaranteed, I thought I would share a couple of things I’ve learned about being in other countries with diabetes and having to plan for mishaps.</p>

<p class="">I generally don’t have many hypos since a) I started using a glucose sensor and b) looping (DIY APS) but one Saturday last summer, I had a Mother-of-All hypo experience which shook me up quite a bit. It was very scary and here’s what happened. </p>

<p class="">What’s healthy for everybody isn’t always healthy for people with diabetes. This is a post about my recent unintentional experiment with sugar versus no added sugar and its impact on my glucose levels and the staff canteen scone.</p>

<p class="">Last weekend, I attended the YpsoPump Mylife Diabetes care Blogger Event where we heard about some of the estimated timelines for the launches of their newest updates; MyLife Loop with CamAPS and MyLife Dose. </p>