<p class="">On April 25th, the <a href="https://www.crazyaboutdiabetes.com/midwestdiabetes" target="_blank">Midwest Diabetes Advocacy Group</a> gave a presentation updating our Clare and Limerick diabetes communities on how much progress has been made campaigning for improved diabetes services in Limerick, Ennis and Nenagh. Here’s a summary of what we presented at the meeting and we hope that by sharing this others will feel empowered to do the same in their areas too.</p>

<p class="">A review of glucose monitoring technology for people with diabetes finds that despite restriction of choice in the over 21 years population that over half of people with type 1 diabetes are using HSE funded Flash (Freestyle Libre) and Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices as of the end of November 2021. This restriction of choice will cost €4.6 million over the next three years.</p>

<p class="">This post is a collection of things to consider if you are interested in exploring an insulin pump as an option for you and has come about because I get quite a few emails from people asking. My honest answer is that it doesn’t matter what I think, a pump has to be: “<em>The right device, at the right time, for the right person</em>” and hopefully these tips will help you determine this.</p>

<p class="">On January 11th, 1922 Canadian, Leonard Thompson became the first person with diabetes to be injected with insulin. One hundred years ago people with diabetes were given the gift of life and as we celebrate 100 years of insulin we also celebrate all that we have discovered about living with diabetes since then</p>

<p class="">The Limerick, Clare, and Nenagh diabetes groups formed the Midwest DiAdvocacy group to campaign for DAFNE, Insulin pumps, and lots more national issues. We have organised three events in the run-up to World Diabetes Day, Sunday 14th November; Access to Care selfie, Dip for Diabetes, and a WDD meetup.</p>

<p class="">I have so many blog posts jumbled up inside my head that I wanted to try to untangle in the last couple of weeks, such as the mother of a hypo while shopping and starting intermittent fasting, but sadly, I was unable to sort out the jumbled mess in my head. </p>

<p class="">We don’t have a national diabetes register in Ireland but we do have some data on number of people with type 1 diabetes here: on average 300 children &amp; teens are diagnosed with T1 annually and in 2016 approx 67% of total diagnosis were over the age of 25 years. </p>

<p class="">When I saw the call for stories of diabetes stigma, I didn’t think I had any experiences to share. However, when I was viewing the live facebook event I started to think about one or two specific times where I felt stigmatised and the more I started to reflect the longer the list got. So here’s a few of my personal experiences of diabetes stigma over my 28 years of diabetes.</p>

<p class="">As I went through these old notebooks I noticed some things that had never occurred to me before but also how much I didn’t know about managing my diabetes in those first six years until I had access to formal training.</p>

<p class="">I’ve been using a glucose sensor since 2015 and I’ve noticed that there is an increase in the number of people who are able to access or self fund these devices in Ireland, so I thought I would go through a couple of things that helped me get the best out of it for some of the new users. </p>

<p class="">50% of People with Type 1 Diabetes Funded by HSE for Glucose Sensor Technologies. 65% of people funded for CGM sensors are over the age of 21 years. I’m not a math genius or a health economist or even a super intelligent person but even I can see that if the age restriction on Flash was removed and we had a choice, the HSE would save money.</p>

<p class="">I usually don’t entertain emails offering products for me to try out but when I got a very short email from Chad at the <a href="https://diabeticsockclub.com" target="_blank">Diabetic Sock Club</a> I had a blister on my toe and ankle for no reason. so I thought I would give them a try. </p>

<p class="">I remember going to diabetes events hoping to learn more about my diabetes in the early years of my diagnosis and often felt that these events were too vague for an insulin user like me, and that the discussion was dominated by people with type 2 diabetes. So I didn’t relate to or connect with these events and I stopped going. Now in the type 1 diabetes dominated support space we are asking where are people with type 2?</p>

<p class="">It has taken several weeks but Guess what? Exercise in the middle of the day was not successful! In May I wrote a blog post about how incredibly frustrating it is, as an insulin dependent person with diabetes, to exercise without having low blood glucose levels. However I did find a solution.</p>

<p class="">I was diagnosed as an adult while living away from home. I had all the classic symptoms: the 4 T’s, but had no idea that they could be caused by an illness. By the time I was admitted to hospital I could barely stand, walk or talk and had lost so much weight I looked like a skeleton. Type 1 diabetes symptom campaigns that ignore the fact that adults get T1D makes those adults feel isolated and alienated from the diabetes community and may be reluctant to look for

<p class="">Over the years, I’ve been told by so many people that the patient voice is the strongest and most difficult to ignore and for a very long time I believed this wholeheartedly. But in recent months, I’ve been feeling that the voice of people with diabetes is nothing more than white noise, unheard and unsupported.</p>

<p class="">About two months ago I collected my diabetes supplies from my chemist only to discover when I got home that there was an extra box in the bag. It happens sometimes but thankfully not often, whoever’s filling out the order ends up putting extra in by mistake.</p>

<p class="">Since finishing college, I was anxious to get back into my regular pre-college walking routine after a total abandonment back in September. Actually no, that’s a huge fib, I really wasn’t but I am desperate to get rid of some of the Covid kilos that have piled on since I’ve been glued to screens and books and that’s my real motivation. Here’s what happened over the week of dealing with hypers and hypos from exercise.</p>

<p class="">I know lots and lots and lots of people with diabetes are still waiting to be called for the COVID-19 vaccination and I was surprised to be one of the first people to be invited for my first dose. Read about the emotion at receiving my vaccination and I share how I reacted to it. </p>

<p class="">I am SOOOOO excited to announce that the Clare Diabetes Support Group is thrilled to have Renza Scibillia as our guest speaker on <strong>Tuesday 9th March at 8pm Irish time on Zoom</strong>.</p>