Clinical Director
The Relationship Between Diabetes and Sleep
I’m sure most of us over 30 feel we always need more sleep and cannot catch up on the missing zzz’s. My friends with diabetes and I talk a lot about the “diabetes hangover” that can occur after a night of highs or lows due to missed sleep. The role that diabetes plays in sleep and sleep plays in diabetes is still being studied across the globe. Here’s a rundown of what the recent research shows. Diabetes causes missed sleep. I know this is obvious, but there are a lot of reasons that studies have found diabetes causes missed sleep: […]
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Diabetes Life Lessons
After a wonderful, busy week at Friends for Life Orlando, I can’t help but reflect on the lessons that living with diabetes for the last 34 years has taught me. Many families and adults living with T1D shared their versions of the lessons living with diabetes has taught them, hoping to ease the burden of others. It can be especially challenging to focus on the positive side of diabetes at times, especially at new onset or during a phase of diabetes distress or burnout. But as Friends for Life reminded me, and I hope it reminds you, too, diabetes teaches […]
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Understanding Infusion Set Options
There are several ways to get insulin into your body, such as wearing insulin pumps or automated insulin delivery systems (AIDs). This can be very helpful since people come in all shapes and sizes, and one size rarely fits all. Knowing what options are available for the system you use can make all the difference to your satisfaction and success with that system. What is available with what device? Insulin Pump Infusion Set Options Available Beta Bionics iLet Straight in cannula or steel needle Insulet Omnipod Only the angled proprietary cannula Medtronic 780G Straight in cannula normal or extended wear […]
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Diabetes Supplies: You’re Going to Need a Bigger Bag
When you have diabetes, you inevitably have to carry a lot of things with you. You have to be prepared for the many curveballs that diabetes can throw your way. How do you balance keeping enough supplies on hand and not carrying a giant backpack everywhere? It can be tricky, but it can be done! Here are some examples and scenarios to help you cultivate your various diabetes bags. Frequent places If you have a consistent place you go to, such as work, school, or family’s homes, it may be easier to leave some supplies there. These should include supplies […]
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Nausea with Lows and Diabetes Woes
It’s always amazed me how many little things can go wrong with the human body. So many complex systems work together so harmoniously that we often take it for granted. It’s very similar to a car – many things are working hard to get me from point A to point B, and I get very frustrated when it doesn’t work as it should. One tiny piece goes out of alignment, and hours of time and likely hundreds of dollars later, it’ll be back to usual. Unfortunately, it’s less simple when it comes to the human body, as we cannot take […]
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The Impact of Friends for Life
How do you measure the impact of an event? How do you quantify something that is difficult to explain to someone who has not experienced it? Studies about diabetes camps have shown how much peer support benefits children with diabetes. One study showed that many adolescents with diabetes learn about safety related to high-risk behaviors and type 1 diabetes at diabetes camps or Friends for Life (FFL) conferences. But these are just tiny glimpses into the vast expanse of what Friends for Life is. What is Friends for Life? As mentioned above, it isn’t easy to fully describe FFL. Children […]
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Weekly Basal Insulins: Could they be a Reality Soon?
It’s human nature to hope for better things and for some to focus on improving things. Historically, diabetes has been difficult, and many people have been unable to achieve their glucose management goals. The tools and technologies that we have today help a lot, but it’s not a perfect system. Researchers are still working hard to find ways to reduce the burden of living with diabetes and improve outcomes. One of the areas of focus has been reducing the amount of injections. Developments in Insulins Compared to when insulin was first discovered and developed, many different types of insulin are […]
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Guiding Growth: Parenting for Diabetes Autonomy
Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs people experience. You want to be kind but not too passive, supportive but not an enabler. You want to give your children the world, but not spoil them. When you add a chronic disease, that means their life will be different than most of their peers, making it challenging to enforce all the added rules. As a person with diabetes, a nurse, and a diabetes care and education specialist, I’d like to discuss what I’ve been seeing more lately with families. My experience First, a big acknowledgment that I am NOT a […]
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When it’s more than T1D
Many people know that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, but what you may not know is that autoimmune conditions sometimes come in multiples. Some are more commonly associated with type 1 diabetes than others, but most can affect blood glucose levels – especially if undiagnosed. Here are some of the most common conditions that coexist with T1D. Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland, found in your neck and responsible for metabolism, among other things, does not make enough thyroid hormones.1 Symptoms: Weight gain, fatigue, cold intolerance, body aches, thinning hair, dry skin, depression, and even slowed heart […]
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Rights in the Workplace for PWD
In general, people with diabetes feel like diabetes should not stop them from living an everyday life (whatever that is). Since diabetes is ever-changing, it keeps you on your toes, which means that you may need accommodations to care for yourself appropriately and work or study as you desire. Definition of a Disability The legal definition of disability, according to the U.S. federal government is “an individual is considered to have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, […]
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