Last week, registration opened for Thriveabetes the type 1 diabetes conference which takes place on Saturday 24th February 2018 in Dublin. And with over four months until the event takes place we are almost one third of the way to being sold out. If you are an adult with type 1 diabetes you might be asking yourself what’s different about this conference?
Well, for starters, I’m an adult who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 24 years (so far) and it’s not often I get to be in a room with over one hundred other adults with insulin dependent diabetes. And just knowing that, before you walk into the room means you have made friends before you say “Hello”. An additional bonus to being in the room with so many people like me is that the only experts in the room aren’t the ones giving presentations, it’s the person sitting next to me too.
However, our speakers are world class. They come from all over the UK, US and Ireland and most of them have type 1 diabetes also.
Here is what we have planned for you as an adult with diabetes:
T1 International
Elizabeth Rowley
Elizabeth Rowley is the Founder and Director of T1International , a global organization that advocates access to insulin, supplies, and medical care for all people with type 1 diabetes around the world. She will talk about the work her organisation does and how T1 International support local communities by giving them the tools they need to stand up for their rights so that access to insulin and diabetes supplies becomes a reality for all.
She was born in the United States and has lived with type 1 diabetes for 25 years. Elizabeth moved to London in 2011 to complete her Master’s degree in International Development and has worked with nonprofits, diabetes and health organizations ever since. She believes that where you were born should not determine whether you live or die with diabetes.
Follow Elizabeth on Twitter & FaceBook @T1international
Diabetes Burnout Joe Solowiejczyk
Diabetes Burnout, also referred to as diabetes distress is when someone with diabetes grows tired of managing their condition, and then simply ignores it for a period of time, or worse, forever.
Type 1 isn’t just about counting carbs, checking glucose levels and taking insulin. The disease takes an emotional and psychological toll as well. And it’s not unusual for some to just get fed up with all of it.
Joe has been living with type 1 diabetes for over 50 years. He grew up in New York but now lives in California. He is a registered nurse, diabetes educator and family therapist and works extensively with both patients and professionals on the "Family-Approach to Diabetes Management" and dealing with psychosocial issues that come from living with type 1 diabetes.
You can read & watch more of Joe here:
2015 Thriveabetes on TV3's IrelandAM
Technology & Treatments other than insulin
Dr. Kevin Moore
More and more doctors are prescribing medication, in addition to insulin, to manage insulin dependent diabetes. In this session, we will discuss the technology and what other medications might be available to help make life with diabetes easier.
Kevin Moore is a Consultant endocrinologist in Tallaght Hospital, Naas General Hospital and the Beacon Hospital. Kevin has been making occasional guest appearances at the Type 1 Diabetes Support group meetings in Dublin for a number of years.
He works tirelessly to improve the life of patients with diabetes and those with chronic endocrine disorders. Dr. Moore is a strong advocate for healthy lifestyle with chronic conditions. He has undertaken a number of activities with patients, including climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, participating in triathlons and 5-10Km runs. He regularly gives voluntary patient education talks throughout Ireland, including at the Type 1 diabetes support group for adults in Dublin.
Type 1 diabetes; Managing Blood Glucose and Exercise Dr. Alistair Lumb
Fear of hypos is one of the biggest reasons that people with type 1 diabetes avoid exercise, even though we know that it really helps with glucose management.
Dr. Lumb has worked with the OneTouch Sports Weekend (formerly known as the Animas Sports Weekend) since it began. He is a Consultant in Diabetes and Acute General Medicine at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Through his career he has been interested in the management of Type 1 diabetes for sport and exercise and has worked with athletes in nationally recognised clinics in the area. He is particularly interested in how technology can be helpful in this arena. His other professional interests include inpatient diabetes care, antenatal diabetes, cystic fibrosis related diabetes, and integrated diabetes care. Outside of work he is a keen cyclist.
Living with Diabetes; Kate’s Top 10 Tips
Kate Gajewska
Kate has been living with type 1 diabetes for over 30 years. She is a diabetes educator, psychologist, and currently a Doctorate candidate at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She is conducting a study looking at the access to insulin pump therapy in Ireland. Prior to that, she worked as a research data manager in Diabetes Centre of Our Lady's Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin.
She is a member of Diabetes Ireland, the Adult Type 1 Diabetes Support Group in Dublin, and a member of the International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes. She engages in a lot of initiatives aiming to improve the quality of life of people with type 1 diabetes, she is also a proud Thriveabetes supporter. Follow Kate on Twitter @gajewska_kate
HSE Diabetes Services Update Seán Dinneen, National Diabetes Programme
The National Diabetes Programme acts as an advisory committee to the National Programme for Diabetes and also provides national advice on diabetes management. Since it began, they have published and implemented;
- the National Podiatry Programme for people with diabetes and
- the Cycle of Care Programme for people with type 2 diabetes,
- the Model of care for the Provision of Insulin Pump Therapy to Children under the age of 5
- and were the leads in the setting up of the National DiabeticRetina Screen programme.
- They also published the Model of Care for All Children and Young People with Type 1 Diabetes.
During this presentation, Prof Dinneen will update us on what’s next. In 2016, Prof Seán Dinneen; Consultant Endocrinologist, UHG, was appointed as National Lead for the Diabetes Clinical Programme of the Irish Health Service Executive. His professional interests include developing and evaluating programmes of self-management education for people with diabetes, developing optimal models of community-based diabetes care and understanding the diabetic foot. He was part of successful bids which brought a School of Podiatry and a Clinical Research Facility to NUI Galway. As you can gather we have a a very full day in store packed with lots of information for adults with type 1 diabetes at Thriveabetes.
Please note that if you have type 1.5 (LADA) or if you are an adult with type 2 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy, you are very welcome to join us at Thriveabetes also.
Register here. Thriveabetes takes place on Saturday 24th February 2018 in Dublin
A few of you will have come across a FaceBook post in the Diabetes in Ireland Private Group from Debbie Davis who helps the Sunrise Foundation collect up unused and unneeded diabetes supplies such as old redundant glucose meters and test strips which are then send to underprivileged families with diabetes in Africa.
I wanted to find out a little more about the Sunrise Foundation and the work that they do, so Debbie very kindly put me in touch with Matilda Chongwa the CEO. Matilda has written this week’s blog post about her foundation.
What we have achieved so far:
NEXT TRIP TO AFRICA