Thriveabetes; Save the Date!

Thriveabetes 2016 will take place in  The Killashee House Hotel, Kilcullen Road, Naas, Co. Kildare on Saturday, October 1st.   

Thriveabetes; The Thrive with Type 1 Diabetes Conference is a one day conference for people living with type 1 diabetes. Adults with type 1 diabetes and parents of children with type 1 diabetes.

This year, we are welcoming children with type 1 diabetes and their siblings.

Registration for Thriveabetes will open in a couple of months.

What is Thrivebetes going to offer?

This Type 1 Diabetes conference will focus on the psychological impact of living with a chronic, lifelong illness. We aim to provide “Inspiration, Motivation and Information” to people living with type 1 diabetes.

Our speakers are internationally renowned in the diabetes community, some of whom are living with type 1, and speakers who are nationally recognised as diabetes healthcare professionals.

Who Should Attend Thriveabetes?

• Adults with Type 1 or Type 1.5 diabetes (also known as LADA; Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults).

• Partners, Spouses and Significant Others of Adults with type 1/1.5 Diabetes.

• Parents/Guardians/Carers of children/young people with type 1 diabetes.

• Young adults, teens, school-age children, and younger children with type 1 diabetes and their siblings.

• Health care professionals who work with type 1 diabetes

The Conference Venue and Hotel Reservations

The Killashee House Hotel is just 30kms from Dublin City Centre, 2kms outside Naas Town, & only 35mins from Dublin Airport. Set amidst the lush rolling countryside of County Kildare, with victorian grandeur of the Original House, to the acres of splendid gardens and gloriously wild woodland trails, there are so many hidden places to explore.

For those of you who are interested in making a weekend of it;

The Killashee House Hotel has reserved a block of rooms for Thriveabetes delegates on a first come first served basis. The room rates are as follows;

• Single Occupancy €120.00 B&B
• Twin/Double occupancy €160.00 B&B

There are lots of alternative options for accommodation in and around Naas town. Tripadvisor or the Naas Town website should be able to provide you with more information about them.

Conference programme

Our conference programme is in development. I can confirm that Joe Solowiejczyk will be returning to Thriveabetes.

We will post updates on the conference programme as they are confirmed and invitations are being sent out to potential speakers as we speak.

Exhibitors & Sponsors

Thriveabetes is financed through a combination of delegate ticket sales, an adjoining exhibition, sponsorship and donations.

If your company is interested in exhibiting at Thriveabetes or in discussing a sponsorship arrangement please email Gráinne at Grainne@thriveabetes.ie

Who is organising Thriveabetes?

Thriveabetes is organised completely by volunteers. Myself (Grainne Flynn), Rebecca Flanagan & Christine Meehan are at the helm. Find out more about us here.

Rosemary's Story; 30 years Pumping

I met so many people at Thriveabetes 2015 last October and I’ve been reaching out to people that I had contact information for just to see how they are doing. It’s been so nice catching up with them. One such lady is Rosemary Boylan, who agreed to allow us to share her diabetes story with you. Thank you so much Rosemary.

I met so many people in the hallway of The Glenroyal Hotel that day and the names and stories have been “mashed up”. I would encourage anyone who wants to share their story or to reconnect with people they met. to send me an email to info@thriveabetes.ie and I promise to do my best to connect you. Grainne.

Insulin Pumping for 30 years.

My name is Rosemary and I live in Co. Meath. In December 2016, I shall be 40 years into my journey living with Type 1 Diabetes.

It was Autumn 1976 when I became unwell.  I had the symptoms of a cold, which developed into a flu. They persisted for some time, worsening daily. Several visits to my GP and numerous amounts of antibiotics later, no improvement was gained.  I was tired, lacked energy, extremely thirsty, drinking anything I could get my hands on. I drank favoured minerals because it had a little bite in it, not knowing the added damage I was doing. It was like pouring water into the desert.

I was nauseous and beginning to be intolerant of eating anything and keeping it down. Using the bathroom became a horrendous experience due to the buildup of acid. I had lost a considerable amount of weight.

A final visit to the GP, who was browned off looking at me by now, said to wrap me up warm and send me back to school. Horrendous. considering any one of these symptoms would now cause concern and be sooner picked up on.

My Mum was concerned but as he was the professional she took him at his word. Luck would have it that my Mum was having an annual check up at Navan Hospital and she took me along. She voiced her concerns with one of the nurse's who looked at me and sent me immediately to A and E. I was rushed to Our Lady of Lourde's Hospital, Drogheda where I was finally diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

I spent three weeks in Intensive Care and had to adjust to the shock of having to be on injections for the rest of my life. Two days before Christmas I was discharged, it is a Christmas that shall stay in my memory, especially the song 'Mull of Kintyre' by Paul McCartney, they played it on what must have been on a loop in Intensive Care I don't view Tartan in the same way (ha, ha).  The Consultant said that if I hadn't  been with my Mum that day that two more days and it would have been fatal.

I initially found it hard to adjust to my one injection a day. My Mum and my brother took it in turns to administer the injection but after a week or so I knuckled down and did it myself. Needles back then were not as micro as they are today, if you had seen them, the word 'horse' would spring to mind (ha, ha). I eventually had to go onto twice daily injections.

At 18 years, my then Consultant Professor Devlin suggested I go on an Insulin Infusion Pump as my blood sugar control left a lot to be desired. That was 1984, I was one of only a few (patients) treating their diabetes in this form.

30 years on an insulin pump and 6 pumps later, the advancements have been incredible. I don't claim to know everything about insulin pumping but I know exactly what I need to know to meet my specific needs. I have no complications, so far. It hasn't been an easy journey and some trials have been harder than others. Diabetes has not yet held me back in anything I wanted to do with the exception of a Skydive for charity.

People regard diabetes as something that is less significant than other diseases but let me tell you when you live every waking moment of every single day of your life with this disease it is a trial, it is hard, it is difficult and sometimes cruel.There is a whole physiological side to it. Our own health is in our own hands. Having support and understanding in doing this is enormous. Unfortunately I didn't have either.

I attended the first Thriveabetes held in Maynooth in 2015 and found it inspirational as many others did. I am so looking forward to 2016's.

So guy's keep your chin up and let's be the best that we can be with this damn thing!!!! 

Regards, Rosemary

Note: People with type 1 diabetes are not prohibited from participating in a Sky Dive. The circumstances where Rosemary was prevented from doing hers are unique.

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?