Ireland

Diabetes Bright Spots and Landmines Book Review

Diabetes Bright Spots and Landmines Book Review

During the summer, I got a message from Niamh Downes about a new diabetes book that she was really impressed with called "Bright Spots and Landmines, The Diabetes Guide I wish Someone had Handed me". Some of you may be familiar with Niamh as the founding member of the FaceBook group Diabetes in Ireland and one of the founding members of the Dublin Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Group. Since Niamh messaged me I have started to read "Bright Spots" but of course it's going to take me a bit longer than Niamh, so I asked her if she would author a review of it. Thankfully she said yes.

Galway Cycle for Diabetes

Later this year, the staff of the Diabetes Centre in University Hospital Galway are organising a social event for young adults transitioning from the Paediatric service to the adult Type 1 Diabetes service in UHG. More details on this to follow. To raise money for this event they are organising a 50K Cycle for Diabetes on Saturday 1st October 2017 in Galway. They are looking for more people from the diabetes community to participate.

50K Cycle for Diabetes

Saturday 1st October 2017

Registration Fee: €30

Register here - https://www.iregister.ie/v2/events/cycle-for-diabetes/

Facebook Page

This is the third year of the cycle which is always well attended. In 2015, Irish professional cyclist with Team Novo Nordisk, Stephen Clancy lead the participants around the route and this year he may be doing the same. Here's a recent video he made invite us to join in.

Back to School with type 1 diabetes

As I write this, I can't get that facebook photo from last year of the mother leaping for joy as her kids waited glumly for the school bus out of my head. That's me at the beginning of the holidays but there's definitely more joy at the end of the holidays. Somehow my response of “that's excellent news! Let me get my chores list.” to the “I'm bored” comment didn't go over as well as I had hoped :-( Back to school is upon us again. How quick the summer passes? New books, new classrooms, new teachers and for most it’s when parents dance with glee and even though, our children say the don’t like school, they are excited to go back.

But for parents of children with type 1 diabetes, it involves meeting the new teacher to go over your child's care plan or maybe trying to secure a special needs assistant for your child. It's having a new set of people to train in your child's type 1 diabetes. Because no two people with diabetes are the same.

I know a lot of the parents of children with type 1 diabetes in community groups have been exchanging valuable experiences and advice here in the private facebook group.

Here's a couple more resources that might also help with getting back to school. It's also worth mentioning that Diabetes Ireland Cork office run a Diabetes Teacher Training day every year in October that you can share with your school. You or your school can find out more about this by contacting the Southern Regional Office, Cork by phone: 021 427 4229 or Email: corkcarecentre@diabetes.ie

 

Back to school resources and planning

Inspiration for this post came from Diabetogenic.

Diabetes Ireland's Back to school Resource Pack.

Diabetes UK's Resources for Schools, Parents, Teachers and Students.

Beyond Type 1's The Caregiving Conversation