CWD News
Confessions of a Diabetes Hoarder
I have a confession to make. I’m a diabetes supply hoarder…a diabetes supply “prepper”…a person who worries about the “diabetes apocalypse.” I know I’m not the only one, and in fact, we recently received a question to our CWD Answers section asking about what someone with diabetes could do if there were a zombie apocalypse. I’ve been this way for the last 10 years since my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three. I think that it started during our diagnosis experience when we were still in the hospital learning about our new lives with […]
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Children with Diabetes…Preparing for Launch in 2023!
I’m sitting at the Orlando airport and am surrounded by travelers preparing to depart for their destinations across the country. Some are happily sipping their coffee and talking to their travel companions. Some are sleeping quietly while they wait to depart Orlando. Some are dealing with crying children or helping elderly parents and companions navigate the airport while they prepare for whatever is next on their agendas. I’m here, too. As I stare out the window waiting for the first glance of my incoming airplane, I can’t help but notice the crunchy orange armband on my wrist with the tiny smiley face. It’s my […]
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When the Parent has Diabetes
Your role as a parent is to teach your children as much as you can to prepare them for their future independence, or something like that. Your kids look to you for answers and guidance to many of life’s challenges. You teach them how to talk, walk, feed themselves, read, show empathy, wash dishes, do algebra, and hundreds of other things in their lifetime. You try to protect them from getting hurt in any way that you can, while knowing you won’t be able to keep them safe from many of life’s typical hardships. When you’re a parent with diabetes, […]
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This Year’s Resolution: Eat Healthy
January 1st is the beginning of a new year. A fresh start. Many people use this as motivation to set lofty goals focused on following a restrictive diet and/or losing weight, but the list of possible resolutions is endless. Unfortunately, many of these goals are left unmet within the first three weeks of the new year. Whether it’s because the goal was set too high or there was not enough motivation, I think it’s beneficial to start a new year with basic concepts of healthy eating and beginning each day as a fresh start to achieve that goal. What are […]
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Coping with Bullying and T1D
Living with diabetes means that everyday life looks a little different than without diabetes. We need to count the carbohydrates in our meals, check our blood sugar, take insulin. Some of us wear devices that help with diabetes management, and we often have to take care of ourselves a bit more than other folks. Diabetes and Bullying When you’re young, with or without diabetes, there are many pressures to “fit in” and be like everyone else. People with diabetes often feel badly about being different. Furthermore, some people are bullied about their diabetes, which can be really disheartening. According to […]
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“Sleigh” your Blood Sugar this Holiday Season
It’s that time of year again! Families will be gathering to share meals, drinks, and laughs for the winter holidays. When you have T1D, you’re likely preparing yourself for the added difficulties of managing blood sugars (and stress levels). Here are our curated tips for sleighing your blood sugar management this holiday season! Go to Gatherings with all your Diabetes Goodies Being prepared is a cornerstone of diabetes management, and when you’re going to be out for long hours with family, ensuring you have all the insulin, test strips, and anything else you may need will allow you to have […]
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Tzield: Delaying Diabetes
There have been some truly groundbreaking advances in diabetes over the past decade. With more accurate continuous glucose monitors, automated insulin delivery systems continue to get closer to the dream of a fully “closed-loop” system. New medications are also available for people with diabetes that help protect kidney and heart health, as well as improve time in range. And now, we have access to a drug that can help delay the onset of type 1 diabetes. How does it work? Teplizumab, or Tzield, is what’s called an immunomodulatory drug. This means that it disrupts the autoimmune process in the body, […]
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Feelings of Guilt among Parents of Children Living with Diabetes: Unshackling the Chains
Type 1 diabetes is a life-changing diagnosis for both children and their parents. Many parents experience feelings of guilt around the time of diagnosis as well as thereafter. Although this feeling is common, understanding guilt and how it influences parenting can allow you to decide if and how you might want guilt to play a role in your life. Guilt versus Other Emotions Many parents experience a lot of challenging emotions related to their children’s diabetes like grief, frustration, anger, and sadness. When any negative parent emotions linger and fester over time, they don’t only cause discomfort for the parent, […]
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Together We Can Reduce Diabetes Stigma
There are many common misconceptions about diabetes, which can lead to people feeling stigmatized, or treated in a way that makes them feel “less than” others. As discussed in, Yes, I can eat that: Answering Diabetes Questions, it seems that we as PWD (People with Diabetes) are subjected to more questions about our choices than people without diabetes. Part of the reason that people feel they can ask us these questions is due to the cultural stigmas around diabetes. Diabetes Stigma Defined It’s a popular belief that diabetes is caused by lifestyle behaviors such as lack of exercise or eating […]
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CWD-JENIOUS Award
Children with Diabetes has collaborated with the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) for over 20 years. This collaboration has recently led to the development of a partnership to help foster the relationship between diabetes researchers and people living with diabetes and their families. As a part of this partnership, the CWD-JENIOUS Award was created to allow one young researcher from ISPAD attend CWD’s Friends for Life conference in Orlando. The ISPAD JENIOUS group is the “Juniors in Educational Networking and International Research Opportunities: United States,” and is designed for young researchers who are starting to embark in […]
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