"Information and motivation are the keys to success for all people with diabetes. DiabetesSisters is fulfilling both of these needs with a focus on the unique needs of women with diabetes. Clinical experience has shown me that women experience diabetes differently from men, so having a resource like DiabetesSisters is essential."--John Buse, MD, PhD; Chief, Endocrinology Division, Department of Medicine, UNC-CH School of Medicine; Former President, Medicine and Science Division, American Diabetes Association
Monday, 05 October 2009 12:49 |
Written by Laura Ely
| Newsletter
October 2009
DiabetesSisters October Newsletter
If insulin pumps could talk...what would they say?
Happy Autumn, DiabetesSisters!
If insulin pumps could talk what would they say? Now, before you all stop reading right here because you’re thinking – ok she must be crazy – let me explain why I started wondering that myself. For the past few years, the UNC Physical Therapy Department has selected individuals with chronic illnesses to speak to the students and provide a face for the disease. I have been selected for the past two years to share my experience living with Type 1 diabetes. During my presentation to a group of first-year Physical Therapy students, a student asked me how my insulin pump worked. As I began to explain the basal/bolus concept to the class, my pump suddenly let out a very loud "BEEEEEEEEEP". I stopped, trying to quickly figure out why my alarm was going off and what to do about it. This had never happened to me during a lecture and I was quite embarrassed! I looked to the class for help in resolving this disturbance to my presentation, but quickly realized that I was the expert in diabetes. I acted quickly to figure out how to a) get my pump to stop beeping and b) still make the most out of this lecture. After a few minutes of dissecting my pump and pressing buttons, I moved on to show them the inner mechanics of my insulin pump. It turned out to be a truly interactive, learning experience for the whole group!
After the lecture, I reflected on my experience. I began to wonder, "if insulin pumps could talk, what was my pump telling me?" Maybe it was saying, “Hey, Laura, today’s not a good day for me, stop putting me in the spotlight!” I used to think it would be fantastic if the pump companies partnered with groups such as Apple so that we could customize our beeps and have pump ringtones. Rather than reading on my pump that I need to “treat your low BG” I would prefer to have it sing “Pour some sugar on me!” by Def Leppard. If I had a day of good blood sugars perhaps my pump could sing to me “I Feel Good" by James Brown at the end of the day. Now, wouldn’t that be motivating and perhaps make diabetes just a bit more fun!
Until next month!
Laura Ely
Communications Coordinator
2010 DiabetesSisters Weekend for Women
The moment you've all been waiting before is finally here...announcing Weekend for Women!
TCOYD (www.tcoyd.org) and DiabetesSisters (www.diabetessisters.org) are nationwide non-profit organizations with similar missions of motivating and educating people with diabetes. In 2010, TCOYD and DiabetesSisters are partnering to bring a unique, life-changing learning experience to women with diabetes. The First Annual Weekend for Women Conference hosted by DiabetesSisters and TCOYD will begin at 5pm on Saturday, May 22nd (immediately following the TCOYD Conference) in Raleigh, North Carolina and end at 5pm on Sunday, May 23rd. The Weekend for Women Conference will take place at Marriott City Center in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. All participants will receive a single room at the hotel.
Weekend for Women participants will attend educational sessions on gender-specific topics related to diabetes treatment and care (such pregnancy, body image, journaling, nutrition), speak one-on-one with other women who are living successfully with diabetes, receive unbiased information on the emergence of new equipment and medications, and learn new tactics for improving their mental and physical health. Participants will also relax and rejuvenate on Saturday evening through one (1) complimentary session in the “Sweet Suite.” To kick off the educational sessions on Sunday, the seated breakfast will feature an entertaining and inspirational speaker, who shares something from her own experience of living with diabetes.
The Sweet Suite:Relaxation. Rejuvenation. Ready to LIVE with diabetes. After a day of learning and exploration at the TCOYD Conference, women will relax and rejuvenate. From the moment they walk in the door of the Sweet Suite, women will find themselves immersed in luxury. Weekend for Women Sweet Suite services are focused on providing women with diabetes the personal attention they deserve from a team of highly trained professionals. From the therapeutic touch of a skilled massage therapist to nourishing benefits of facials, the Sweet Suite offeres a variety of services to help women with diabetes enhance their personal well being. Each participant will receive (1) complimentary session of her choice to be redeemed in the Sweet Suite between 5pm-10pm on Saturday evening.
To find out additional information about the even location, registration and cost click here!
The DiabetesSisters Sister Spotlight!
Meet Camille Izlar...
Camille is one of the very knowledgable Certified Diabetes Educators you will correspond with if you send in a question to be answered in our Ask the CDE Column. Camille was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 8. Back then, having diabetes required peeing in a cup to measure your blood sugar. At school, she excused herself from class before meals to pee in a cup and determine her insulin dose. To determine her blood sugar level, she mixed two drops of urine in the tube with 10 drops of water, then dropped in a pill and waited for the water to turn a color. Blue = good. Orange = bad.
Despite facing these adversities at such a young age Camille never let diabetes stop her from doing what she wanted to do. She ran track, rode horses and was a cheerleader in high school. But just like most children growing up with diabetes, Camille faced difficult times as well. “When I was growing up I tried to hide it because I didn’t want anybody to think I was different. I was determined to do anything that anybody else did.”
During college hiding her diabetes lead to some unhealthy habits. Growing tired of having a chronic disease, Camille decided to rebel against her diabetes. She stopped performing the urine tests on a regular basis and disregarded her diet. Camille joined a sorority at the University of Virginia where she went to school and was doubtful that anyone even knew that she had diabetes.
All of that changed for Camille one summer when she volunteered as a counselor at diabetes camp. She was sitting around her cabin with a room full of 8 year old girls, similar to her when she was first diagnosed. She remembers thinking to herself, “I want these girls to have a better experience than I had growing up with diabetes. I want them to feel ok talking about the disease and I don’t want them to feel like they have to hide it from anyone.” It was that summer that Camille made the decision that she would dedicate her career to helping others live successfully with diabetes.
Camille graduated from the University of Virginia and went on to obtain her Masters in Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She then went on to become a Certified Diabetes Educator. “I used to say, ‘Why me, why me?’ I just think God has a plan and part of his plan is that I do have diabetes and that I use that to help other people with diabetes.”
As one of our CDEs for DiabetesSisters and a woman with diabetes herself, Camille experiences firsthand the value of having her female counterparts to lean on. “Diabetes can be very frightening and sometimes you feel all along with what you’re going through. You feel that others around you don’t always understand what it is like to live with disease. Having my DiabetesSisters makes the journey of living with diabetes a bit easier. DiabetesSisters is a great avenue for women with diabetes to gain knowledge from each other’s experiences from living with the disease.”
If you have a question about any aspect of living a healthy life with diabetes, please send an email to CDE@diabetessisters.org.
Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment
Consider this when applying for a job!
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has voted to approve a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to conform its ADA regulations to the Amendments Act of 2008. The NPRM was just published in the Federal Register on September 23, 2009. This act makes important changes to the definition of the term "disability." This Act intends to make American Society as a whole more accessible to people with disabilities. The Act itself is divided into five different "titles." Please follow the below links to read more!
The 2010 Weekend for Women Conference hosted by DiabetesSisters and TCOYD will take place on May 22-23 in Raleigh, NC. We're now looking people to help us plan this exciting event. Email info@diabetessisters.org and stay tuned for more details to come!
DiabetesSisters became a federally recognized 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization on January 21st, 2009. All donations are now tax deductible.
