CWD News
Highlights from ADCES 2024: New Orleans Edition
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler, friends! The Children with Diabetes team had the opportunity to attend the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, and we can’t wait to share some of our highlights from the event with you. This year’s annual conference was held at the Ernest N. Memorial Convention Center in New Orleans. It featured four days of continuing education, keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, and a giant exhibition hall. Grab your café au lait and a crispy beignet, and let’s recap ADCES 2024! ADCES brings together diabetes care and education specialists […]
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The iLet: 6 Months Later
After sampling multiple AID systems last year, I decided to choose the iLet as my method of diabetes management for the time being. There are a few reasons, and I think it could be helpful to share them to better inform people with diabetes about the pros and cons of the system. Nothing is perfect, and there are things I love about the system and things that are challenging and frustrating. Reduced Mental Burden This was the absolute top priority for me regarding diabetes management. I work in diabetes, my family works in diabetes, I live with diabetes, it’s just, […]
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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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Recapping ADA 2024
The Children with Diabetes team just returned from a steamy hot Orlando and the 84th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association. As we unpack our bags and start our laundry from the trip, we can’t wait to share this recap of our time at the conference. Grab an iced coffee, and let’s get ready to recap Sci Sessions! The American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions is described as the world’s largest meeting on diabetes, offering educational sessions and networking opportunities for those in the diabetes community and industry. There were over 11,000 in attendance who represented over 115 countries. The […]
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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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I Glucagoned My Daughter
Last night we had a scare. If I am being honest, it’s always been my worst fear: a diabetes low blood sugar that is so LOW that my daughter doesn’t make it out on the other side. She’s almost 15 years old now and we’ve been dealing with diabetes for 12 of those years. As a diabetes mom, I try to be prepared for all of the things, all of the time. I can usually handle it, until something happens like last night. It happened so quickly that I fumbled and panicked. While our story has a happy ending, it […]
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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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