Strength in Numbers @ NUIG

Do you have Type 1 Diabetes? Are you aged between 18 and 25 years?

The National University Hospital in Galway are organising a conference for you, called Strength in Numbers on the 23^rd of June 2016.

This conference aims to bring together service providers, policy makers, researchers and young adults with type 1 diabetes to share and develop new approaches to diabetes management.

Registration will open in March 2016”.

I don't have any more details for you at this time but in the meantime you can join the conversation on twitter using #T1DSINs2016.

Have you had any political canvassers?

Election 2016 is right around the corner and we have had political candidates treading the pavements to our doors.

I answered the door to my very first canvasser last week and I got so lucky-it was the election candidate himself.

Unfortunately I was not prepared. But I was not about to miss this opportunity.

After he introduced himself, I introduced myself; telling him that I was the face behind the emails about the newly published model of care for children with type 1 diabetes. See more about the HSE's Paediatric Model of Care here. And that if elected I would be following up with him on what he can do to ensure these recommendations are implemented.

I also told him that when the Model of Care document was published for Adults in June 2016 with diabetes I would doing the same.

We had a good conversation - more than he bargained I think? I hope you guys do better than I did?

If you are not sure what questions you want to ask your election candidates; Diabetes Ireland published some suggestions for you in their most recent members' magazine with some more information. I have edited them a little.

Questions for your Election 2016 hopeful.

Model of Care for Paediatric Diabetes;

1. What will you do to make sure the HSE's Paediatric Model of Care recommendations are implemented in my area?
2. What will you do to ensure that my child's local diabetes team if fully resourced with all the healthcare professional they require to help my child thrive with type 1 diabetes?
3. This one is very important; What can I do to help you do all of this?

Model of Care for Adult Diabetes;

1. The HSE's Model of Care for Adults with Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes is due for publication in June 2016; what will you do to make sure this happens?
2. What will you do to make sure the HSE's Model of Care for me, an adult living with diabetes, recommendations are implemented in my area?
3. What will you do to ensure that my local diabetes team if fully resourced with all the healthcare professional they require to help my child thrive with type 1 diabetes?
4. This one is very important; What can I do to help you do all of this?

What will 2016 bring for the Irish Diabetes Community?

It’s a new year! 2016 has well and truly started and I’m very much trying to catch up with it. I’m trying to write this with my children playing in the background and it’s very distracting but not worth it to say anything to break the happy spell they’re under:-D I can’t move onto 2016 without reflecting on how amazing 2015 was and all that was achieved in the diabetes community. I know that we have a lot more to do and we will.

In October 2015, after 18 months of planning, we had one of the most empowering type 1 diabetes conferences in Ireland; Thriveabetes. Rebecca was in one room at Thriveabetes with almost 100 other parents of children with type 1 and myself & Christine were in another room with as many adults with type 1 diabetes. Most of whom we had never met before, maybe some we met online but we all felt like we had known each other forever.

The conference was so successful that we created our own website, so that we could keep that momentum of inspiration, motivation and information for people with type 1 diabetes going and stay connected to you all.

With December 2015 came the publication of the HSE’s Model of Care Document for Children & Teens with type 1 diabetes. The second step in getting better diabetes services for our children with type 1 diabetes. In July 2012 we had the publication of this document for children aged 6 and under with type 1 diabetes.

We now need the HSE to act on this document; to take all of the suggestions in the MofC and develop the program, then implement it. Our job, as people with diabetes is to keep reminding them. We might also suggest to our clinics that they don’t have to wait for a national programme and implement changes now?

2016, what's going on?

- Well, Thriveabetes 2016 is aimed for October. Myself & Rebecca have a list of potential venues that might be suitable for the conference and will be viewing and deciding shortly. Watch this space.

- In February 2016, Diabetes Ireland will launch their Type 1 Diabetes GP & Public Awareness Project. The aim of this project is to encourage GPs to consider Type 1 diabetes as a potential diagnosis when a child presents feeling generally unwell and secondly to raise awareness among the general parents of Type 1 diabetes signs and symptoms. We don't know how many children or adults die in Ireland because of undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes or from DKA but we can be sure that it does happen here, just like it happens all over the world. Diabetes UK's "4T's" campaign has been very sucessful there and I think it's a good idea to have this initiative here in Ireland.

- The publication of the Model of Care for Adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is due to be launched by June.

- At Thriveabetes, Dr. Kevin Moore talked about Tallaght Hospital’s initiative bring people with diabetes into the planning and consultation process of improving diabetes services. We hope that more of this happens, more communication between people with t1 and health care providers.

- We also see the Irish type 1 diabetes online community growing, strengthening and empowering all of us.

Here’s to an empowering 2016!

We would love to hear from you and we can contacted any time at Grainne@thriveabetes.ie or through our facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/Thriveabetes/